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Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana Senate Bill 138 Permits Public and Charter Schools to Employ or Approve School Chaplains
Last action · January 5, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career DevelopmentSponsor: Stacey Donato
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What This Bill Proposed
Indiana public and charter schools may employ or approve volunteer school chaplains to provide and guidance starting July 1, 2026. Student communications with chaplains are confidential, with mandatory reporting exceptions for self-harm, harm to others, or child abuse and neglect investigations.
The measure establishes a new category of school personnel with privileged student communications while setting explicit criminal background screening and educational credentials for anyone serving in the role.
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.
Public and Charter School Students
Students may receive secular and nonsecular advice from school chaplains and are subject to new confidentiality and mandatory disclosure rules regarding communications.
School Principals and Superintendents
Administrators gain the authority to employ or approve volunteer school chaplains subject to governing body approval.
School Chaplains
Individuals serving in this newly codified role are subject to specific credentialing, background checks, and legal reporting 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
Can any individual serve as a school chaplain under this bill?
When can a school chaplain provide nonsecular advice or guidance?
Are conversations between a student and a school chaplain completely confidential?
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 Senate committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 5, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
- Jan 5, 2026SenateAuthored by Senator Donato
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.
Codification of School Chaplains
The bill establishes a formal statutory chapter (IC 20-26-22.1) defining school chaplains alongside existing personnel such as counselors and psychologists.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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