Garcia Wilburn files 2026 legislation to keep Hoosiers safe and healthy
Today, State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) introduced her 2026 legislation aimed at keeping Hoosiers safe and healthy and putting money back in people's pockets.
Her authored legislation includes:
House Bill 1016: Allows health insurance recipients who are required to select a primary care provider to select a physical therapist or occupational therapist. More freedom in selecting a primary care provider means more targeted and effective care for Hoosiers.
House Bill 1017: Requires Indiana's universities to develop a process for students to designate a medical emergency contact for emergencies that occur on campus and requires the institution to notify a student's emergency contact if it has knowledge of a medical emergency that occurs on campus. This will keep parents better informed of health crises that occur on campus.
House Bill 1036: Requires the Department of Child Services to conduct an in-person assessment before closing an investigation into whether a child is a child in need of services (CHINS) or recommending discharge of a child who is the subject of a CHINS case in juvenile court. This legislation was drafted in response to tragedies like the death of Kinsleigh Welty, a five-year-old who died of starvation, and is aimed at ensuring children are safe before investigations and cases by DCS are closed.
House Bill 1037: Requires the state Insurance Commissioner to consider affordability when weighing whether to approve or deny a health insurance premium increase. Currently, the commissioner does not have to consider whether insurance premiums are affordable when reviewing premium rate increase requests.
House Bill 1060: Exempts degree programs primarily focused on emergency medical services from the 2025 state budget provision that state educational institution degree programs below a certain number of enrolled students must be eliminated. This will ensure that public safety is not compromised as the degree elimination provision is implemented by state universities.
House Resolution 1: Honors John Kautzman, an attorney who passed away last year at the age of 66. He spent his career advocating for and defending police officers and was recognized by the national Fraternal Order of Police in 2023.
Garcia Wilburn's co-authored legislation includes:
House Bill 1012: Protects Medicaid disability recipients against fraud and abuse without compromising their access to care. This legislation establishes standards of transparency and accountability for the state, Medicaid providers, and Medicaid recipients.
House Bill 1046: Establishes the family recovery court fund to fund family recovery courts and safe baby courts, thus promoting recovery and problem-solving in the judicial system. This follows Garcia Wilburn's work on House Bill 1107 last year, which passed out of committee but did not advance further in the legislative process.
House Bill 1223: Deters violent crimes against law enforcement officers by creating sentencing enhancements for crimes that result in serious bodily injury or death to a law enforcement officer.
House Bill 1271: Increases transparency and reduces the burden of medical debt by requiring hospitals to post and share information about the terms of and how to enroll in hospital payment plans. It also prevents insurance companies from inappropriately clawing back or reducing payments to health care providers for necessary health care services.
"This legislative session, I'm focused on keeping Hoosiers safe and healthy," Garcia Wilburn said. "My authored and co-authored legislation is crafted in response to concerns I hear from constituents about how expensive health care has gotten and a desire for the state legislature to prioritize public safety. From growing the emergency responder pipeline and protecting health care for our disability community to cracking down on violent crime against our brave law enforcement officers, these common-sense bills will improve Hoosiers' lives.
"Additionally, in the interest of saving more of your hard-earned money, I want to require the state Insurance Commissioner to take the affordability of premium rates into account when approving or denying rate increases. Insurance companies have a role to play in bringing down health care costs, and I want to make sure they're accountable to consumers."