Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Indiana General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the current version. The official bill page.
Second Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2026)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
SENATE ENROLLED ACT No. 254
AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning higher education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
SECTION 1. IC 5-28-6-13 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2026]: Sec. 13. (a) Not later than December 1, 2026, the
corporation shall develop an education to employment research
program. The program must create a framework for education to
employment data analysis and data sharing to:
(1) inform state policymaking and economic development
strategy;
(2) promote labor market alignment;
(3) facilitate statewide and regional talent planning;
(4) strengthen workforce training programs; and
(5) support return on investment analysis.
(b) The corporation shall develop the program described in
subsection (a) in collaboration with the following five (5)
individuals:
(1) The secretary of education (appointed under
IC 20-19-1-1.1), or the secretary's designee.
(2) The chief executive officer of the Indiana Chamber of
Commerce, or the chief executive officer's designee,
representing the state's business community.
(3) The chief executive officer of the Central Indiana
Corporate Partnership, or the chief executive officer's
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designee, representing the state's priority industry sectors for
economic growth.
(4) One (1) member of the Indiana General Assembly
designated by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(5) One (1) member of the Indiana General Assembly
designated by the president pro tempore of the senate.
(c) Any research reports, online data dashboards, or related
deliverables created by the education to employment research
program described in subsection (a) must be published on the
corporation's website.
(d) The provisions in this section are subject to:
(1) available state funding and existing state resources; and
(2) philanthropic support.
SECTION 2. IC 21-22-3-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 16, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 3. (a) The number of members of the state board
of trustees must equal the number of regions established by the state
board of trustees plus one (1) additional member, but shall not exceed
fifteen (15) total members. The state board of trustees shall divide the
state of Indiana into regions. Each region shall be represented by one
(1) trustee. Each member of the state board of trustees must have
knowledge or experience in one (1) or more of the following areas:
(1) Manufacturing.
(2) Commerce.
(3) Labor.
(4) Agriculture.
(5) Logistics.
(6) Information technology.
(7) Life sciences.
(5) (8) State and regional economic development needs.
(6) (9) Indiana's educational delivery education and workforce
system.
One (1) member must serve as an at-large member. Appointments shall
be for three (3) year terms, on a staggered basis.
(b) An individual who holds an elective or appointed office of the
state is not eligible to serve as a member of the state board of trustees.
A member of a campus board may be appointed to the state board of
trustees but must then resign from the campus board.
SECTION 3. IC 21-22-3-4, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 4. The governor shall fill all vacancies on the state
board of trustees. All members of the state board of trustees who are
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serving on July 1, 2018, are entitled to serve until the ends of their
terms. At the end of a trustee's term or otherwise upon the occurrence
of a vacancy, the governor may appoint a trustee in accordance with
section 3 of this chapter.
SECTION 4. IC 21-22-6-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 20, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 3. The campus board consists of at least seven (7)
members, including at least five (5) members who are representative
of the manufacturing, commercial, agricultural, labor, and educational
groups the knowledge or experience areas described in
IC 21-22-3-3(1) through IC 21-22-3-3(9) of the campus service area,
all appointed by the state board of trustees. Membership may include
a representative from a school corporation that has part of its district
within the campus service area and at least one (1) Ivy Tech
Community College student who is enrolled at the campus. All
members of the campus board must be residents of the campus service
area or represent an employer that operates within the campus
service area. Appointments are for three (3) year terms, on a staggered
basis, and all trustees must be citizens of Indiana. Members may serve
for an unlimited number of terms.
SECTION 5. IC 21-22-6-4, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 21, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 4. A vacancy on the campus board shall be filled
by appointment by the state board of trustees. The campus board, in
collaboration with the campus chancellor, shall nominate and submit
to the state board the names of one (1) or more candidates to fill the
vacancy within ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs. The state
board of trustees may appoint one (1) of the persons nominated by the
campus board or may reject all of the nominees. If the state board of
trustees rejects all of the nominees, the state board of trustees shall
notify the campus board, and the campus board shall make one (1) or
more additional nominations within ninety (90) days after receipt of the
notice. The state board of trustees shall then fill the vacancy from either
the original group of nominations or from the additional nominations.
SECTION 6. IC 21-22-6-8, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 25, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 8. A campus board shall do the following:
(1) Make a careful analysis of the educational needs and
opportunities of the campus service area including an analysis of
programs and pathways designed to meet workforce and employer
demand. in accordance with IC 21-41-5.
(2) Develop and recommend to the state board of trustees a plan
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for providing postsecondary:
(A) general education;
(B) liberal arts education; and
(C) occupational and technical education;
programs and appropriate workforce development, assessment,
and training services for the residents of that campus service area.
(3) Develop and recommend to the state board of trustees a
plan to:
(A) align postsecondary academic curriculum with
employer needs;
(B) provide relevant skills training opportunities; and
(C) ensure college transferability;
for the residents of a campus service area.
(3) (4) Develop and recommend a Review the budget for campus
programs and operations, and make recommendations to the
campus chancellor for efficiencies in operation and alignment
with campus service area needs.
(4) (5) Identify and recommend methods to optimize the use of
facilities and equipment to support programs and pathways
designed to meet workforce and employer demand.
(5) (6) Facilitate and develop cooperation with employers,
community leaders, economic development efforts, area career
and technical education centers, and other public and private
education and training entities in order to provide postsecondary
general, liberal arts, and occupational and technical education and
training designed to meet to ensure alignment with workforce
and employer demand in an efficient and cost effective manner
and to avoid duplication of services.
(6) (7) Determine through evaluation, studies, or assessments the
degree to which the established training needs of the campus
service area are being met.
(7) (8) Make recommendations to the state board of trustees
concerning policies that appear to substantially affect the campus
board's capacity to deliver effective and efficient programming.
SECTION 7. IC 21-22-6-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
SECTION 27, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 10. Before taking any action under IC 21-27-6-3,
IC 21-27-6-4, IC 21-31-2-5, IC 21-38-3-7(2), or IC 21-41-5-8
IC 21-41-5-3 that would substantially affect a campus, the state board
of trustees shall request recommendations concerning the proposed
action from the campus board.
SECTION 8. IC 21-22-6-11, AS AMENDED BY P.L.174-2018,
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SECTION 28, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 11. Upon request of a campus board that has
submitted recommendations under section 8(7) 8(8) or 10 of this
chapter, the state board of trustees shall conduct public hearings
concerning the recommendations at a regular or special meeting of the
state board of trustees.
SECTION 9. IC 21-41-5-2, AS ADDED BY P.L.2-2007, SECTION
282, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2026]: Sec. 2. Ivy Tech Community College shall be devoted
primarily to providing the following:
(1) The educational opportunities for the citizens of Indiana
described in this chapter.
(2) (1) The assessment and training services described in this
chapter. Serving as the workforce engine for the state of
Indiana by aligning postsecondary academic curriculum with
employer needs and ensuring that all academic degree
offerings provide a pathway to direct entry into the
workforce.
(2) Serving as an open access institution for high school
students, adult learners, and high school graduates by:
(A) providing relevant training opportunities that allow
individuals to:
(i) acquire necessary skills for specific jobs;
(ii) obtain certifications; or
(iii) improve the individual's work product; and
(B) providing dual credit and dual enrollment offerings
described in IC 21-43.
(3) Promoting education and economic development by
providing assessment and training services for the citizens of
Indiana, including:
(A) determining the skills needed for specific jobs;
(B) determining whether particular individuals have the
skills needed to:
(i) do specific jobs; or
(ii) qualify for specific skill certifications; and
(C) developing and delivering training programs designed
to help individuals:
(i) acquire the skills needed to do specific jobs;
(ii) obtain specific skill certifications; or
(iii) improve the quality of the individual's work product.
(4) Meeting the needs of state and local officials, employers,
and labor organizations by designing and delivering
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educational and training courses and programs to provide
economic and workforce development.
SECTION 10. IC 21-41-5-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.141-2016,
SECTION 7, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 3. (a) It is the primary purpose of Ivy Tech
Community College to provide educational opportunities and
appropriate workforce development, assessment, and training services
to:
(1) employees of employers whose productivity and
competitiveness will be enhanced by targeted employee education
and training courses and programs delivered in the employer's
workplace;
(2) students who require additional education before enrolling in
college level courses at either a two (2) year or a four (4) year
institution;
(3) individuals who have graduated from high school and are
more interested in continuing their education in a general, liberal
arts, occupational, or technical program at a two (2) year,
nonresidential college;
(4) individuals who have graduated from high school and want to
earn credits that will transfer to a four (4) year college;
(5) students who do not complete work at a four (4) year college
or who are referred by a four (4) year college to Ivy Tech
Community College;
(6) students who complete their work at a four (4) year college but
would like to supplement that education to improve existing skills
or acquire new skills; and
(7) adult workers who need and desire retraining or additional
training of an occupational or technical nature for the workplace.
(b) (a) The board of trustees of Ivy Tech Community College shall
establish an administrative structure for Ivy Tech Community College
that provides the support necessary to accomplish the purposes
described in section 2 of this chapter. for:
(1) workforce training programs, including programs designed for
the direct entry of individuals into the workforce; and
(2) programs to enhance the skills of workers.
(b) The board of trustees of Ivy Tech Community College shall
do the following in its development and adoption of programs
leading to a certificate and for workforce training programs:
(1) Obtain and consider comments and input from Indiana
employers and employer organizations.
(2) Ensure that the programs are aligned with the primary
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purposes of Ivy Tech Community College that are specified in
section 2 of this chapter.
(c) Subject to IC 21-22-6-10, the board of trustees of Ivy Tech
Community College may:
(1) develop and adopt the appropriate education programs to
be offered and workforce services to be provided; and
(2) grant appropriate certificates of achievement and
associate degrees, including associate of applied science,
associate of science, and associate of arts degrees, to students
who complete prescribed and authorized courses or series of
courses.
SECTION 11. IC 21-41-5-4 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY 1,
2026]. Sec. 4. Ivy Tech Community College shall help promote
education and economic development by providing assessment and
training services for the citizens of Indiana that include the following:
(1) Determining the skills needed for specific jobs.
(2) Determining whether particular individuals have the skills
needed to:
(A) do specific jobs; or
(B) qualify for specific skill certifications.
(3) Developing and delivering training programs designed to help
individuals:
(A) acquire the skills needed to do specific jobs;
(B) obtain specific skill certifications; or
(C) improve the quality of the individual's work product.
SECTION 12. IC 21-41-5-5 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY 1,
2026]. Sec. 5. Ivy Tech Community College shall meet the needs of
state and local officials, employers, and labor organizations by
designing and delivering educational and training courses and
programs. The primary objective of this effort is to provide economic
and workforce development support to the state's employers and
communities by meeting their needs for better educated and trained,
more productive, and more competitive employees and citizens.
SECTION 13. IC 21-41-5-8 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY 1,
2026]. Sec. 8. (a) Subject to IC 21-22-6-10, the board of trustees of Ivy
Tech Community College may develop and adopt the appropriate
education programs to be offered and workforce services to be
provided.
(b) The board of trustees of Ivy Tech Community College shall do
the following in its development and adoption of programs leading to
a certificate and for workforce training programs:
(1) Consider findings and recommendations concerning
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workforce needs and training and education needs that are
submitted by advisory committees under section 14 of this
chapter.
(2) Obtain and consider comments and input from Indiana
employers and employer organizations.
(3) Ensure that the programs are aligned with the primary
purposes of Ivy Tech Community College that are specified in
section 3 of this chapter.
SECTION 14. IC 21-41-5-9 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY 1,
2026]. Sec. 9. The board of trustees of Ivy Tech Community College
may grant appropriate certificates of achievement and associate
degrees, including associate of applied science, associate of science,
and associate of arts degrees, to students who complete prescribed and
authorized courses or series of courses.
SECTION 15. IC 21-41-5-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.169-2007,
SECTION 29, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2026]: Sec. 10. The board of trustees of Ivy Tech Community
College may do the following:
(1) Initiate, promote, inaugurate, and develop occupational and
technical education programs and appropriate workforce
development, assessment, and training services in a manner
consistent with sections 2 through 4 3 of this chapter.
(2) Operate either through committee or through subordinate
corporate entities, statewide general, liberal arts, occupational,
and technical education programs, that in the board's opinion
should be established due to:
(A) the specialized nature of the programs;
(B) the limited number of students involved; or
(C) other unique features requiring special attention.
(3) Contract with appropriate education institutions, including
local public schools or other agencies, to carry out specific
programs that can best and most economically be provided
through this approach.
SECTION 16. IC 21-41-5-11 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2026]. Sec. 11. Ivy Tech Community College may enter into the
contracts that are necessary to provide equipment for a data processing
school on or off the premises of:
(1) Ivy Tech Community College; or
(2) any of the college's campuses.
SECTION 17. IC 21-41-5-15 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2026]. Sec. 15. Before November 1, 2016, and each November 1
thereafter, Ivy Tech Community College shall provide the budget
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committee the following information for each of Ivy Tech Community
College's owned or operated campus locations or sites that offer
ongoing academic programs and services:
(1) The number of students enrolled.
(2) The amount of square feet of each building.
(3) The operating or overhead costs associated with the campus
location or site.
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President of the Senate
President Pro Tempore
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Governor of the State of Indiana
Date: Time:
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