The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana SB 265 increases worker compensation benefits and unemployment insurance rates
Last action · January 8, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Pensions and LaborSponsor: Rodney Pol
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What This Bill Proposed
Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana SB 265 increases worker's compensation and occupational disease benefits through 2032, raises the maximum weekly unemployment benefit to $514, and introduces an additional $50 weekly dependent benefit. The bill also establishes that employers taking adverse action against employees within 60 days of wage recovery actions face civil infractions and penalties ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Indiana Senate Bill 265 was introduced during the 2026 legislative session and referred to the Committee on Pensions and Labor. 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.
Employees
Employees receive enhanced protections against wage retaliation, higher maximum unemployment benefits, and increased compensation schedules for workplace injuries.
Employers
Employers face stricter penalties for wage violations and retaliation, higher wage credit caps, and increased contribution obligations tied to worker compensation and unemployment insurance.
Injured workers
Injured workers receive increased worker's compensation and occupational disease benefits across scheduled fiscal years.
Key Facts
- An employer who takes an adverse employment action against an employee within 60 days of the employee instituting or participating in an action to recover wages commits a Class B infraction.
- Civil penalties for unlawful adverse employment actions are set at up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $2,500 for one prior adjudication within five years, and up to $5,000 for two or more prior adjudications.
- Worker's compensation and occupational diseases compensation benefits are increased for injuries and disablements across fiscal years 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, and 2032 and thereafter.
- For calendar quarters beginning after June 30, 2026, wage credits used for unemployment insurance may not exceed $12,350.
Show all 7 facts
- For initial unemployment claims filed after June 30, 2026, the maximum weekly benefit amount is capped at $514.
- Eligible unemployment claimants are entitled to an additional $50 per week per dependent, up to a maximum additional benefit of $150 per week.
- An employer who knowingly or intentionally fails to pay an employee or former employee commits a Class B infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if an employer retaliates against an employee seeking unpaid wages?
How much is the maximum weekly unemployment benefit under this bill?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 8, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Pensions and Labor
- Jan 8, 2026SenateAuthored by Senator Pol
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.
Escalating Penalty Structure for Wage Retaliation
The bill implements a tiered civil penalty structure ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 based on prior employer adjudications within a five-year window.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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