Bans, budget cuts and speed limit changes on I-465: Here are the laws taking effect July 1

Indianapolis Star

19-06-2025

Lawmakers' mad dash to wrap-up the 2025 legislative session on time saw a long list of last-minute changes in April.
Now many of them are taking effect on July 1.
As they raced to tie-up lose ends, legislators slashed public broadcasting funding and rolled back DEI at public colleges. They also adjusted speed limits and scrutinized lab-grown chicken.
For those still reeling, here is everything you need to know about the latest laws on the books.
New guidelines on the purchase of vehicles by state entities will take effect July 1 thanks to House Enrolled Act 1518. The legislation requires vehicles to be a government, base or standard model and may not be from a 'luxury or semi-luxury brand' if an alternative exists, with some exceptions.
The bill came after Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales and Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith each bought expensive vehicles with taxpayer dollars, including a $90,000 GMC Yukon Denali and a nearly $88,000 Chevy Tahoe High Country.
Motorists will soon be able to drive up to 65 miles per hour on I-465 without risking a speeding ticket thanks to House Enrolled Act 1461.
Hoosiers have long lamented the 55 miles per hour speed limit on I-465, claiming it is too slow for the flow of traffic on the loop. Data seems to back up the claim: in December 2020, the Indiana Department of Transportation recorded driving speeds on I-465 for 13 days, finding that 96% of drivers were going over the speed limit.
The law also makes the process of establishing toll roads easier and gives local governments more tools to pad their road budgets.
Transgender women participating in college athletics in Indiana will no longer be able to play on women's teams after July 1.
House Enrolled Act 1041 follows a 2022 law that prohibited transgender girls from girls' K-12 sports.
However, there are less than 10 transgender athletes who are active in the NCAA, the association's president told a Senate committee in December 2024. None of them live in Indiana, according to State Affairs.
Hoosiers with a 'red flag' record will now be allowed to wipe the slate clean should a judge rule they are no longer dangerous.
Red flag laws allow law enforcement to seize weapons from people police believe pose a threat to themselves or others even if they haven't committed a crime. If a judge agrees, they can prohibit the individual from owning and purchasing guns.
If a judge later decides the person is no longer dangerous, they can order the guns returned and gun rights restored.
Prior to House Enrolled Act 1137, cases remained public. Beginning July 1, people will have the opportunity to ask a judge to seal and expunge their 'red flag' record if they're found to be no longer dangerous.
A law that bans college students from using student IDs as voter identification — Senate Enrolled Act 10 — takes effect July 1, though its impacts likely won't be felt until the primary election in May 2026.
Critics of the law fear it will stop college students from voting, particularly out-of-state students who don't have an Indiana driver's license. That concern sparked a lawsuit in May that alleges the law is unconstitutional.
Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts will be severely curtailed by a new Indiana law.
Beginning July 1, educational institutions, state agencies and health profession licensing boards will no longer be able to spend state money on DEI initiatives.
The law, Senate Enrolled Act 289, also prohibits actions taken based on an individual's 'personal characteristic,' defined as a person's race, sex, color, ancestry, national origin or religion. These actions include things like hiring or firing staff, granting student aid or denying a license.
Though the law has not yet taken effect, universities began scaling back DEI efforts as early as January
While the offices are closed, some programs within the offices continue to operate. For example, IU's six culture centers are now listed under the Office of Student Life.
House Enrolled Act 1393 requires county jails to report individuals to the sheriff if there is probable cause to believe that the person does not have legal status starting July 1.
The law comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Todd Rokita against Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté, who Rokita alleges limited personnel's ability to cooperate with state and federal authorities on immigration matters.
House Enrolled Act 1425 bans the sale and manufacturing of lab-grown meat — a food product made from animal stem cells and arranged in a structure that mimics the taste and texture of meat products — for two years.
Once the ban expires, the new law requires manufacturers to label their product with the phrase, 'This is an imitation meat product.'
U.S. regulators approved the sale of lab-grown chicken in 2023, but it's not yet widely available.
Advocates of the product say it would be better for the environment and animal welfare. Legislators in favor of the bill expressed skepticism about the product and said the ban would provide more time to learn more.
Another election-related change coming to Indiana is Senate Enrolled Act 287, which allows candidates to note party affiliation next to their name on the ballot when running for school board.
The law allows candidates to identify as independents or to leave a blank space by their name if they don't identify with a party or don't wish to disclose an affiliation. It also states that a straight ticket vote will not include any candidates running for school board, so voters must still examine that section separately.
Intoxicated minors who need medical help will no longer receive a citation for underage drinking once this student-spearheaded lifeline law expansion takes effect July 1.
Originally passed in 2012, Indiana's lifeline law was designed to encourage young people to call 911 when they see someone in need of medical attention by providing them with criminal immunity for underage drinking.
But for 13 years, the law did not offer the same immunity to the person requiring medical attention.
Senate Bill 74 will now protect both parties from criminal prosecution.
The new state budget included a litany of last-minute changes, such as public health cuts and a provision that gave the governor greater control over the Indiana University Board of Trustees.
Among the new additions was a clause that eliminated state funding for public broadcasting, a blow to stations already facing threats to federal funding. Some organizations have been forced to make changes. Lakeshore Public Media announced in June that they were cutting production and laying off staff because of the funding loss.
Another part of the budget bill could eliminate more than half of degrees at Indiana public colleges if enrollment numbers don't increase or exceptions are not approved. This provision requires degrees to have an average of 15 graduates per year to continue being offered.
The requirement puts degrees ranging from American Studies to Agronomy and Crop Science at risk.