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Cutting red tape and regulations in the hope of lowering costs are at the core of bills that make up the priority agenda for Indiana House Republicans in the 2026 legislative session.
At a Thursday press conference, Republican House leaders announced four bills addressing housing, energy, governmental efficiency and education code.
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said the agenda is a continuation of the body’s work in previous years
“This year we’re focusing on lowering costs for Hoosier families and reducing government to unleash opportunities,” Huston said. “We’ve worked hard in recent years to put Indiana in a very strong position by growing our economy, attracting new residents and cutting taxes.”
Housing and utilities
Housing supply and prices have been a priority for Huston’s caucus, and Republicans believe House Bill 1001, authored by Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, will address the issue by reducing the time it takes developers to get their required permits.
The bill states that for areas in which a local unit of government has designated as residential, single-family homes and townhomes are permitted without a hearing. Similarly, mixed-use residential and commercial developments are automatically considered permitted uses in areas zoned for commercial.
In addition, the measure prohibits local municipalities from requiring extra parking spaces and takes rules about design out of local hands—unless the local body specifically passes a statute saying otherwise.
Miller said his bill isn’t meant to take away from local governments, but rather to streamline processes that local governments have already set.
“The state can set the guidelines, but the local units have control over how fast that [housing] product hits the marketplace,” Miller said. “We’ve worked … with local governments, with private sector partners and we’ve all determined that putting common sense rules in place, streamlining processes is the most effective way to get more product to the marketplace.”
On utilities, Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, is carrying House Bill 1002. The measure would change the structure of how state regulators set utility rates from a cost-of-service model to performance-based rates.
The idea is that by setting rates over multiple years, utilities will be better incentivized to keep costs down on consumers. The bill also prevents shutoffs during extreme heat and sets some parameters for budget billing and cost-assistance programs.
Government efficiency
House Republicans are also focused on efficiency measures within government. That includes eliminating “redundant” boards and commissions and removing “unnecessary” rules and regulations involving education.
For instance, Rep. Steve Bartels’ House Bill 1003 ends the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, and the bill moves those duties to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Another example of shaking up public bodies includes eliminating the Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, the Board for the Coordination of Programs Serving Vulnerable Individuals, the Commission on the Social Status of Black Males and the Native American Indian Affairs Commission and combining some of those topics into a small board called the Indiana Cultural Commission.
“The beginning intent is not necessarily to save money, it’s efficiency,” said Bartels, R-Eckerty. “When you take two boards that are doing similar activities, by combining them and reducing their boards, you become more efficient inherently.”
The Braun administration has also signaled that it’s open to closing or combining township governments as part of a greater push toward government consolidation. Huston said he’s also open to the idea and anticipates his caucus carrying legislation to that effect this session.
“I think there’s universal agreement among many of us that we have too much local government in this state, too many non-elected taxing units. We’ll have that conversation,” said Huston.
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