The 2026 Indiana legislative session has come to a close! At the start of this session, the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy began tracking 88 bills related to or significantly impacting the health workforce. Of those, 24 made it through the full legislative process and have been signed into public law or are awaiting action by the governor. As we review the health workforce bills that advanced this year, two major themes emerge: updates to licensing, scope, and training requirements and behavioral health workforce development.
Licensing, Scope, and Training Updates
Many of the new laws passed this session will modify how clinicians are licensed, supervised, training, and practicing on the ground.
- Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 180 has wide-ranging impacts across several health professions. For home health aides, it removes the requirement that training programs include at least 75 hours of training and 16 hours of classroom instruction before supervised practical training begins. This act also creates a new licensure pathway to become a dental hygienist for people who completed their dental schooling abroad and modifies examination requirements for respiratory care practitioners beginning in 2028.
- House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1358 focuses on medical education and requires all Indiana medical schools to ensure students receive instruction on nutrition and complete a rural health rotation. This is a meaningful step toward ensuring physicians are prepared to support the health and wellness of Hoosier communities, including rural ones.
- SEA 90 will affect many licensed healthcare professionals and those in training as it prohibits practitioners from performing pelvic, prostate, or rectal examinations on unconscious patients except in specifically outlined circumstances.
- SEA 56 and SEA 293 both modify examination requirements for licensure. SEA 56 opens a pathway for veterinarians to obtain licensure without completing an examination if certain other criteria are met. On the other hand, SEA 293 focuses on pharmacists and specifically lists the required examination in statute.
Behavioral Health Workforce
Consistent with the Bowen Center’s recent focus on behavioral health workforce, several passed bills reflect attention to this space.
- SEA 222 requires the secretary of Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), or a designee, to implement standards and administer certifications for certified community behavioral health clinics, recovery organizations and residences, and certified peers. It also defines certified peers as individuals trained and certified by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction or an approved certification body.
- HEA 1296 similarly requires the secretary of FSSA, or a designee, to certify integrated reentry and correctional support programs, defined as programs providing mental health and substance use services and supports to individuals during incarceration and reentry.
- HEA 1266 is particularly noteworthy as it includes provisions directly related to a recommendation in the Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce. It requires state higher education institutions to determine the feasibility of creating accelerated graduate degree pathways in mental or behavioral health, an important step toward growing a pipeline of qualified providers.
As the 2026 legislative session wraps up, it is worth taking a moment to recognize the meaningful progress made in strengthening Indiana’s health workforce. Thank you for following along with us this session! Be sure to check out our other data and resources in the library.