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Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana bill requires state health department to set drinking water limits for PFAS chemicals starting July 2026
Last action · January 13, 2026: Representative Hamilton added as coauthorSponsors: Ryan Dvorak and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1239 requires the Indiana Department of Health to establish legally binding s for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances () in public drinking water systems by July 1, 2026. These state standards must protect public health, specifically safeguard vulnerable populations like infants and pregnant women, and cannot be less stringent than federal Environmental Protection Agency limits or advisories.
- PFAS chemicals are synthetic compounds widely used in industrial processes and consumer products since the mid-20th century due to their resistance to heat, water, and oil. context
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues health advisories and regulations regarding maximum contaminant levels for hazardous substances in public drinking water. 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.
Indiana department of health
The department is required to adopt rules establishing state maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in public water systems.
public water systems
Public water systems must provide water that complies with the newly established maximum contaminant levels for PFAS.
vulnerable subpopulations
Contaminant levels established by the state must be protective of the health of vulnerable subpopulations such as pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children.
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
What does HB 1239 require the state to do regarding drinking water?
How do the state standards compare to federal EPA standards?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Jan 13, 2026HouseRepresentative Hamilton added as coauthor
- Jan 5, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs
- Jan 5, 2026HouseAuthored by Representative Dvorak
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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of State PFAS Standards
The measure shifts Indiana from relying purely on federal advisories to enforcing explicit state-level maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in drinking water.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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