The governor ceremonially signed into law on April 23 legislation authored by State Representative Bob Behning that reduces the number of regulations for Indiana’s K-12 schools. The new measure, House Enrolled Act 1004, aims to remove restrictive and redundant statutory requirements from state and local education codes.
The effort is part of a broader initiative by House Republicans that began last year to streamline education regulations. The law eliminates conflicting definitions, confusing compliance rules, and unused programs throughout Indiana code. According to Behning, the changes are intended to allow schools to concentrate more on teaching rather than administrative tasks.
“Our education regulations became so bloated that it was negatively impacting schools’ ability to focus on the primary objective of teaching their students,” said Behning, who chairs the House Education Committee. “I’ve spent the last couple of years working with stakeholders from across the state to modernize these statutes, so educators spend less time on paperwork and more on educating the next generation of Hoosiers.”
Last year, a similar law written by Behning reduced Indiana’s education statutes by over 35,000 words in an effort to give local districts greater control over decision-making. With this year’s passage of HEA 1004, thousands more words have been removed from state code.
The new law also directs the Indiana State Board of Education to work with other agencies in developing a long-term plan for career and technical education. This includes analyzing labor force demands and technological changes while providing recommendations for improving access to related programs. These efforts build upon previous legislation co-authored by Behning in 2023 that created additional high school diploma options and scholarships for students interested in work-based learning opportunities.
More information about new laws passed during the 2026 legislative session can be found at iga.in.gov.
