INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — An all-day school cellphone ban and new reporting requirements for child abuse cases top the list of new state laws that take effect Wednesday.
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July 1 is the day legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor becomes law, unless lawmakers specify a different date.
All students at traditional public schools and charter schools are now prohibited from using their cellphones at any time during the school day. Students who need to use their devices for medical or translation purposes, or as part of an Individualized Education Plan, are exempt. The new law builds on an earlier requirement that schools prohibit phone use during instructional time. Many public and private schools in Indiana already have all-day phone bans.
Several new laws take effect on Wednesday that are a direct result of the death of Kinsleigh Welty, an Indianapolis girl who died from starvation in 2024. One law in particular, known as Kinsleigh’s Law, requires Department of Child Services (DCS) caseworkers to see a child in person within 30 days of closing a case.
A second, separate law requires DCS to publicly report any current or past involvement with a child within five days of a child’s death or near-death due to abuse or neglect. DCS also will have to provide more detail in its annual child fatality report. There is also a new law that shortens the amount of time biological parents have to comply with court-ordered services.
Perhaps the most controversial law taking effect Wednesday is part of a nationwide Republican-backed push to expand state-level immigration enforcement. It is now illegal for employers to hire, recruit or continue to employ someone who is not authorized to work in the United States.
Employers can face civil penalties for violations, though Attorney General Todd Rokita has said the law does not allow him to pursue criminal charges. The law also requires county jails to comply with all immigration detainer requests and to notify a judge if someone in their custody is subject to a detainer.
Two new laws deal with crime victims. Beginning Wednesday, the Department of Correction must provide at least seven days’ notice to law enforcement and to registered victims of violent crime before releasing someone from prison who was convicted of a violent crime. The state also now has a system set up to determine eligibility for advanced DNA testing in cold cases.
Some laws passed this spring already are in effect. Language to make missing minors eligible for a statewide Silver Alert, passed in response to the death of Fishers teenager Hailey Buzbee early this year, became effective this spring as soon as Gov. Mike Braun signed it.
One significant law that is not yet in effect is Indiana’s new teen social media accounts law. The measure requires social media companies to verify user ages and to limit features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling for anyone under 16. The law takes effect on Jan. 1.
