Indiana Senate Passes Comprehensive Reform Package

SB 1 aims to protect taxpayers, end waste, fraud, and abuse in Indiana’s Medicaid and SNAP programs.

Shutterstock photo.

INDIANAPOLIS - A comprehensive reform package authored by Senate Majority Floor Leader Chris Garten (R-Charlestown) to aggressively combat waste, fraud, and abuse in Indiana’s welfare system passed the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 38-8.

Senate Bill 1, the Senate Republican Caucus' top priority for the 2026 session, safeguards Hoosier tax dollars by mandating rigorous verification of immigration status for all Medicaid and SNAP applicants. This measure strictly prohibits the use of public funds for individuals unlawfully present in the United States.

"The generosity of Hoosiers should never be exploited by those who have broken our laws to enter this country," Garten said. "We are drawing a hard line in the sand: Indiana’s public safety net is for vulnerable legal residents, not for illegal aliens. SB 1 ensures that not a single cent of hardworking Hooser taxpayers' money subsidizes illegal immigration."

Under the provisions of SB 1, any applicant who fails to verify legal residence will face immediate referral to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for investigation and deportation proceedings.

The legislation also restores key conservative principles to the state's welfare system, including:

• Enforcing Work Requirements: Reinstating strict work requirements for able-bodied, working-age adults on the Healthy Indiana Plan to encourage workforce participation and self-reliance rather than government dependency.
• Closing Loopholes: Eliminating "broad-based categorical eligibility," a bureaucratic loophole that currently allows individuals to bypass asset tests and automatically qualify for food stamps simply by receiving a non-cash brochure. SB 1 restores the requirement for a thorough financial review of every applicant.

"With Medicaid costs exploding by an unsustainable $5 billion over just four years, we have a fiscal and moral duty to stop the bleeding," Garten said. "We are restoring integrity to the system to ensure that these programs remain solvent and available for the Hoosiers who truly need them, while shutting the door on fraud and inefficiency."

SB 1 now moves to the Indiana House of Representatives for further consideration.