Civil litigation overhaul clears Indiana House panel despite warnings over public nuisance changes

By: Casey Smith

Outlets: Indiana Capital Chronicle

Published: January 28, 2026

Words: 1,168

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

Efforts to rein in public nuisance lawsuits and push more civil cases toward settlement advanced Tuesday despite committee testimony from concerned attorneys who warned the changes could limit access to courts.

Supporters said House Bill 1417 would curb abusive lawsuits, but opponents worried it could weaken long-standing legal protections for Hoosiers.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 9-4 along party lines to advance the legislation authored by Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne. The bill now …

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