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Governor signs two Indiana bills targeting foreign influence and vaping products
Summary
At a public signing event the governor signed Senate Enrolled Act 256, which requires registration for people acting on behalf of specified foreign adversaries and adds protections for taxpayer-funded contracts, and Senate Enrolled Act 185, which expands oversight and enforcement of tobacco and e-cigarette sales. Lawmakers and staff distributed copies and applause followed.
At a public signing event, the governor signed Senate Enrolled Act 256, which creates a state-level framework to address foreign influence and security risks and requires individuals acting on behalf of specified foreign adversaries to register with the state, and Senate Enrolled Act 185, which tightens oversight of tobacco and e-cigarette sales and expands enforcement authority for the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.
The presenter, describing the two measures as "practical steps to help Hoosiers stay safe and protect our state government from foreign influence," said the bills would protect taxpayer-funded contracts and public institutions while giving regulators clearer tools to crack down on repeat violations. "We're taking action to protect Indiana from foreign adversaries trying to gain influence here in our home state and from dangerous foreign produced vaping products," the presenter said.
Under the law described as Senate Enrolled Act 256, the state will require registration by individuals acting on behalf of named foreign adversaries listed in the remarks (China, Russia, Korea, and Iran), and will add guardrails intended to protect taxpayer-funded contracts and public institutions from foreign influence. The presenter identified SEA 256 as "authored by Senator Chris Garten, sponsored by Representative Matt Commons," and described it as focused on foreign agent registrations.
Senate Enrolled Act 185 was described as strengthening Indiana's oversight of tobacco and e-cigarette products. The presenter said the law imposes new requirements for sales certificates and "gives the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission stronger enforcement authority," and characterized the measures as a response to concerns that "China has been flooding the US market with poor quality, unsafe vaping products." The presenter named SEA 185 as "authored by Senator Ron Alting, sponsored by Representative Heath Van Heerden."
The presenter said the bills would be signed separately at the event and offered copies to attendees; applause followed the announcements. The transcript does not provide the bills' effective dates, vote tallies, or implementation timetable. The signing and the lawmakers who authored and sponsored the bills were announced on the record; further administrative steps and any rulemaking by the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission were not discussed in the transcript.
