The 2026 Indiana legislative session may have been short, but lawmakers still passed several bills that will impact schools across the state. The major laws that were passed by Governor Mike Braun include the Bell-to-Bell Cellphone Ban, Social Media Restrictions for Minors, “Success Sequence” Instructions Required, Education Deregulation, Youth Organizations in Schools, Teacher Licensing Changes, Charter School Conversations, and the Juvenile Curfew Law Reminder.
As these new laws prepare to take effect, Paoli schools are already working on implementation.
“We work over the summer to make sure we are in alignment with all new laws and have them in place for next school year,” said Principal Adam Stroud. “The main law people seem to be concerned about is the updated cell phone law. We will update our policy as necessary to be compliant. I know this is a topic where people’s opinions fall on both extremes. Either way, we will adapt and move along just like we have with every change that takes place. As cell phones become less of a focus and are less used in schools, we have seen a positive impact on several items.”
Senate Bill 78, the Bell-to-Bell Cellphone Ban, signed March 5, expands Indiana’s cellphone restrictions beyond instructional time to the entire school day. Schools must choose between two policies: a no-device policy, in which students cannot bring wireless devices to school, or a storage policy, in which devices must be powered off and stored away all day. The ban includes cellphones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, and smart watches. After June 30, 2028, any teacher-directed device use must occur only on school-supplied equipment. Exceptions apply for medical needs, IEPs, 504 plans, emergencies, and language translation.
House Bill 1408, Social Media Restrictions for Minors, signed by the governor, requires social media companies to get parental permission for any account holder under age 16. The law also requires companies to limit content and communication for minor accounts and to provide parents with monitoring tools.
Senate Bill 88, “Success Sequence” Instructions Required, requires public schools to teach students about obtaining at least a high school diploma and job training, securing full-time employment, and waiting until marriage to have children. The bill also requires Indiana’s public universities to accept scores from the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside the SAT and ACT for admissions.
House Bill 1004, the Education Deregulation Bill, is a massive deregulation bill that repeals 40 provisions in education and makes changes to 15 additional topics. The bill removes outdated and duplicate requirements, eliminates certain school social worker qualification requirements, and gives school corporations more control over local decisions. Last year, a similar bill decreased Indiana’s education regulations by more than 35,000 words.
Senate Bill 200, the Youth Organizations in Schools Bill, allows youth patriotic organizations to provide information to students on school grounds at least twice per school year. The bill also voids certain vendor contract provisions against public policy, including choice of law and indemnity clauses in contracts with schools.
Senate Bill 204, the Teacher Licensing Changes Bill, removes the requirement that teacher preparation programs be accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It allows individuals who hold teaching licenses in charter schools to be eligible for initial practitioner licenses under certain conditions, and removes the requirement to hold a bachelor’s degree in STEM fields for certain teaching pathways.
Senate Bill 239, the Charter School Conversations Bill, makes it easier for traditional public schools to convert into charter schools under certain conditions. The bill also requires schools to notify parents when their student is at risk of not achieving grade-level proficiency in math.
While not new legislation, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is reminding families about Indiana’s existing juvenile curfew law. Under current Indiana law, juveniles ages 15-17 cannot be in public places between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on weekends, after 11 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday, or before 5 a.m. on Monday-Friday, and juveniles under age 15 cannot be in public places before 5 a.m. Monday-Friday or after 11 p.m. any day. Exceptions apply when juveniles are accompanied by a parent or guardian, or when participating in work, school-sanctioned activities, religious events, or exercising their right of assembly.
Most of these laws take effect July 1, 2026, or shortly after. Students, parents, and educators should prepare for some changes next school year.
