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SB 197INDIANASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Indiana Senate Bill 197 updates wage garnishment calculations, employer deduction fees, and bankruptcy asset exemptions

Original title: Garnishment.

Last action · January 29, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on JudiciarySponsors: Greg Walker and 7 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Senate Bill 197 modifies Indiana's Uniform Consumer Credit Code by updating wage limits from 30 to 83 times the federal minimum wage, establishing employer collection fees, and increasing bankruptcy exemptions for tangible personal property and residences effective July 1, 2026.

Background

Indiana's Uniform Consumer Credit Code governs consumer credit sales, leases, and loans, regulating charges and creditor remedies including wage garnishments. context
Bankruptcy exemptions define the categories and dollar amounts of personal property that a debtor can shield from creditors during federal bankruptcy liquidation or reorganization proceedings. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

debtors

Debtors face modified wage garnishment calculations and are permitted higher property and cash exemption limits during bankruptcy proceedings.

Directly affected

creditors

Creditors must provide standardized debtor and judgment information on garnishment orders and bear half of the employer's garnishment processing fee.

Directly affected

employers

Employers are authorized to collect administrative fees for processing garnishments and child support deductions from employee earnings.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can employers charge a fee for processing wage garnishments?

Yes. For non-child support judgments, an employer may collect a fee equal to the greater of $12 or 3% of the total deducted amount, shared equally between the debtor and creditor. For child support, employers may collect a $2 fee per deduction.

How does the bill change wage garnishment calculation limits?

The bill updates the maximum part of aggregate subject to by changing the calculation multiplier from 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage to 83 times the federal minimum hourly wage.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the Senate · in House committee.

Procedural history

14 actions

Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroduced
First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
Jan 28, 2026Senate
Referred to the House
Jan 27, 2026Senate
Senator Niemeyer added as coauthor
Jan 27, 2026Senate
Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor
Jan 27, 2026Senate
House sponsor: Representative Zimmerman
Jan 27, 2026SenateFloor
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 104: yeas 32, nays 13

Show 8 earlier actions

Jan 26, 2026SenateFloor
Second reading: ordered engrossed
Jan 22, 2026SenateFloor
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
Jan 15, 2026Senate
Senator Randolph added as coauthor
Jan 15, 2026Senate
Senator Qaddoura added as coauthor
Jan 13, 2026Senate
Senator Alting added as coauthor
Jan 13, 2026Senate
Senator Walker K added as second author
Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
First reading: referred to Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions
Jan 6, 2026Senate
Authored by Senator Walker G

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Substantial Increase in Bankruptcy Asset Protections

SB 197 significantly updates multiple long-standing bankruptcy exemption caps, including raising the residency exemption to $22,750 and cash/deposit account exemptions to $1,500.

General Assembly

Connected Entities

Rick Niemeyer, J.D. Ford, Fady Qaddoura and 6 more

PersonRick Niemeyer“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonJ.D. Ford“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonFady Qaddoura“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonAlex Zimmerman“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Indiana state legislative body”Map →

PersonGreg Walker“Primary sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonLonnie Randolph“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonKyle Walker“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

PersonRon Alting“Co-sponsor of SB 197”Map →

Sources

Open source document

iga.in.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
Controversy30
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

What This Bill Proposed

Who It Would Have Affected

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Discoveries

Substantial Increase in Bankruptcy Asset Protections

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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