HB 1358 Indiana House · 2026 Regular Session

Indiana department of health.

Summary

Changes the statewide standing order for the dispensing of a smoking cessation product to a tobacco, vaping, or nicotine cessation product. Amends the date by which a hospital must submit the hospital's fiscal report and patient information report to the state department. Removes a requirement that a home health aide competency evaluation program include at least 75 hours of training and 16 hours of classroom training before supervised practical training. Adds Parkinson's disease to the definition of "chronic disease" for provisions concerning the chronic disease registry. Requires: (1) the state department to maintain a trauma registry; and (2) certain health care facilities to submit data to the registry. Establishes requirements for the handling and transporting of infectious waste. Sets forth factors the state department must consider in determining the nature of and civil penalty for a violation of infectious waste requirements. Expands provisions concerning epinephrine, including provisions allowing a pharmacist to dispense and an entity to prescribe epinephrine rather than auto-injectable epinephrine. Removes the expiration of provisions concerning lead screening for children. Requires a registered manufacturer, processor, repackager, or wholesale distributor of food, drugs, or cosmetics to comply with federal regulations concerning good manufacturing practices. Allows the state health commissioner to enter and inspect the premises of the manufacturer, processor, repackager, or wholesale distributor. Permits a local health department to conduct inspections of certain manufacturers, processors, repackagers, or wholesale distributors. Amends the information a local child fatality review team and the statewide child fatality review committee may review in conducting a child fatality review. Allows a suicide and overdose fatality review team and a fetal-infant mortality review team to provide records to the state department. Requires the state department to maintain the confidentiality of these records. Requires a medical school to: (1) include nutrition education in the school's curriculum; and (2) require students to complete a rural health rotation. Voids administrative rules concerning infectious waste and the state trauma registry.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 8, 2026 Signed Mar 4, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

House Bill (S) → House Bill (H) · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Indiana Department of Health's reporting requirements and expands its ability to accept private funding for veteran health programs. It also clarifies definitions for blood and medical equipment, adds Parkinson's disease to the chronic disease registry, and establishes new rules for handling infectious waste and epinephrine dispensing.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a new program for enhancing health care resources for veterans and to define specific medical terms related to blood and containers used in medical settings.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the statewide standing order to allow dispensing of nicotine cessation products in addition to tobacco and vaping products.

Established new requirements for the handling and transporting of infectious waste and set civil penalties for violations.

Expanded epinephrine provisions to allow pharmacists to dispense and entities to prescribe standard epinephrine rather than only auto-injectable forms.

Amended the definition of 'emergency medical services' to describe it as an integrated medical care delivery system.

FISCAL

Added a new program to enhance health care resources and infrastructure for veterans within a subsidiary corporation established by the state department.

DEFINITION

Added Parkinson's disease to the definition of 'chronic disease' for the chronic disease registry.

Added new definitions for 'blood and blood products in liquid or semiliquid form' and 'container' to align with specific medical codes.

Introduced House Bill (H) → Enrolled House Bill (H) · 8 edits · Mar 4, 2026

MODERATE

This bill transitions from a draft proposal to an enrolled act, finalizing changes to Indiana's health code. Key updates include redefining 'hospital' to exclude long-term acute care facilities and rehabilitation centers, clarifying definitions for emergency medical services and infectious waste, and establishing new reporting requirements for the Department of Health. These changes aim to streamline regulatory language, ensure accurate data reporting, and align state definitions with federal standards for medical and public health operations.

Scope change

The bill's scope is clarified by narrowing the definition of 'hospital' to exclude specific facility types like long-term acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, which were previously ambiguously included or excluded depending on the specific statute. Additionally, the scope of reporting requirements for the Department of Health was expanded to include public website availability of financial and activity reports.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'hospital' was modified to explicitly exclude long-term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and hospitals without emergency services from certain regulatory provisions.

New definitions were added for 'blood and blood products in liquid or semiliquid form', 'container', and 'laboratory animal carcasses' to align with federal regulations.

The definition of 'emergency medical services' was modified to include care provided as part of mobile integrated healthcare programs.

The definition of 'local health department' was modified to clarify its meaning for specific statutes and include the health and hospital corporation as a local health department for certain purposes.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added for the Indiana Department of Health to publish annual financial and activity reports on its website for public access.

New requirements were established for the handling, transport, and disposal of infectious waste, including specific factors for determining civil penalties for violations.

New requirements mandate that medical schools include nutrition education in their curriculum and require students to complete a rural health rotation.

Previous reporting requirements for the Department of Health were removed and replaced with updated mandates to make information available on the department's website.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 17, 2026 · House Jan 28, 2026

How they voted

39–4

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 49

Feb 17, 2026

D Democratic9

7 Yea 2

77% Yea

R Republican40

32 Yea 4 Nay 4

80% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 4, 2026

Signed into law

Signed by the Governor

executive

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by the President of the Senate

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by the President Pro Tempore

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by the Speaker

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 380: yeas 96, nays 0

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third reading: passed; Roll Call 193: yeas 40, nays 4

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third reading: passed; Roll Call 116: yeas 95, nays 0

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

lower

3 primary · 5 co-sponsors