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HB 1417INDIANASession 2026State Billpassed both

Passed

Indiana Establishes Tort Reform Commission and Limits Public Nuisance Lawsuits by State Agencies

Original title: Causes of action and damages.

Last action · February 19, 2026: Committee report: amend do pass, adoptedSponsors: Matt Lehman and 5 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

House Bill 1417 creates a 15-member Tort Reform Commission to review civil actions, damages, and medical malpractice claims, and limits state and agency lawsuits to prospective and damages. The measure also raises the statutory cap on attorney's fees, costs, and expenses awarded under s from $5,000 to $100,000, taking effect upon passage and July 1, 2026.

Why it matters

State agencies and the state government face new restrictions confining claims to requests for and rather than expansive financial damages. Meanwhile, civil litigants face a significantly higher fee-shifting ceiling when rejecting s.

Who It Would Affect

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

Directly affected

State of Indiana and state agencies

Governmental entities face new statutory limitations restricting public nuisance lawsuits to injunctive relief and abatement costs.

Directly affected

Civil litigants and offerors

Parties making qualified settlement offers are subject to a raised attorney's fees and costs recovery cap of up to $100,000 if the final judgment is less favorable to the recipient.

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 the newly created Tort Reform Commission do?

It reviews civil causes of action, medical malpractice claims, punitive damages, civil immunities, court statistics, and the effect of tort reform measures on public safety, and must report its findings by November 1, 2026.

How does the bill change public nuisance lawsuits brought by state entities?

It restricts state agencies to seeking prospective and damages necessary to abate the nuisance, prohibits recovery for future harms, and prevents multiple lawsuits based on the same facts.

What changes are made to settlement offer awards?

The bill raises the cap on attorney's fees, costs, and expenses that a court can award an offeror when a recipient fails to beat a from $5,000 to $100,000.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

12 actions

Feb 19, 2026SenateFloor
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroduced
First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
Feb 3, 2026House
Referred to the Senate
Feb 2, 2026House
Senate sponsors: Senators Baldwin, Garten
Feb 2, 2026HouseFloor
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 187: yeas 61, nays 34
Jan 29, 2026House
Amendment #1 (Campbell) motion withdrawn voice vote

Show 6 earlier actions

Jan 29, 2026HouseFloor
Second reading: ordered engrossed
Jan 27, 2026HouseFloor
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
Jan 22, 2026House
Representative Zimmerman added as coauthor
Jan 8, 2026HouseIntroduced
First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary
Jan 8, 2026House
Coauthored by Representatives Snow, Pressel
Jan 8, 2026House
Authored by Representative Lehman

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 shift95% confidence

Narrowing of Government Public Nuisance Powers

The legislation specifically constrains state and state-agency public nuisance actions, limiting remedies to abatement and barring recovery for potential future harms.

Tort Reform Commission

Connected Entities

Indiana Hospital Association, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, General Assembly and 4 more

OrganizationIndiana Hospital Association“Organization with a member appointed to the commission.”Map →

OrganizationIndiana Trial Lawyers Association“Organization with representatives appointed to the commission.”Map →

OrganizationGeneral Assembly“The legislative body enacting the bill.”Map →

OrganizationDefense Trial Counsel of Indiana“Organization with representatives appointed to the commission.”Map →

OrganizationTort Reform Commission“A temporary executive branch commission established by the bill.”Map →

OrganizationIndiana Chamber of Commerce“Organization with a representative appointed to the commission.”Map →

OrganizationIndiana department of insurance“State department whose commissioner serves on the commission.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

iga.in.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy65
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

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