By Erin Macey
Indiana Poverty Community Action Institute
February 6, 2026
A key piece of affordability legislation passed the Indiana Senate on Jan 27. Senate Bill 197 addresses the aftermath of high utility costs, medical bills, and other debts, preventing debt collectors from taking so much out of a paycheck or bank account that they trigger a financial catastrophe – all by adjusting two numbers in Indiana law.
We hear about the affordability crisis from Hoosiers constantly in our work at the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute. Right now, we are keeping a pulse on Hoosiers’ needs through our community needs assessment survey, launched in January. At the time of writing, over 1,000 Hoosiers have selected “utilities…