The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana House Bill 1253 classifies family case managers as first responders and restructures voyeurism and sex offender laws
Last action · January 12, 2026: Representative Smaltz added as coauthorSponsors: Lori Goss-Reaves and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
Indiana House Bill 1253 adds family case managers to the official list of state first responders, renames public voyeurism to 'digital voyeurism' while removing the intent-to-peep requirement, and establishes that a serious sex offender who approaches or communicates with a child in a public park commits a .
Changes criminal definitions, creates new felony offenses for serious sex offenders near children or parks, and alters legal pathways for individuals petitioning to modify sex offender registration requirements.
- Indiana legislative bills are introduced during regular sessions by members of the General Assembly and must pass through committee review, floor votes in both chambers, and gubernatorial action to become law. context
- The Indiana Code governs state administrative definitions, criminal penalties, and sex offender registration requirements, which are frequently updated by the General Assembly. 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.
Family case managers
Family case managers are newly classified as Indiana first responders and public safety agency personnel.
Sex offenders and serious sex offenders
Individuals classified as sex offenders face updated petition requirements for registry modifications and new felony charges for approaching children in public parks.
Prosecuting attorneys and Attorney General
Prosecutors and the Attorney General are required to receive notice and respond to offender petitions seeking removal or modification of registration obligations.
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
Who is newly designated as an Indiana first responder under this bill?
What changes are made to the crime of public voyeurism?
What is the penalty for a serious sex offender communicating with a child in a public park?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
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 12, 2026HouseRepresentative Smaltz added as coauthor
- Jan 5, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code
- Jan 5, 2026HouseAuthored by Representative Goss-Reaves
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.
Expansion of First Responder Classifications
The legislation broadens traditional public safety definitions by formally incorporating Department of Child Services family case managers into emergency responder frameworks.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools