On April 3, 2025, Governor Mike Braun signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 95 – 2025 (SEA 95). SEA 95 creates a legal framework for public employers in Indiana to recover the costs of hiring and training law enforcement officers who resign and are subsequently hired by another public or private employer. The law addresses a growing concern among public agencies that invest significant resources in training new officers, only to lose them shortly thereafter to other employers. Effective July 1, 2025, SEA 95 creates a formal reimbursement system to ensure that the public funds used for law enforcement training are not lost when an officer voluntarily transfers to another job.
Who Is Impacted?
SEA 95 applies to law enforcement officers who are initially hired by a public employer—such as a city police department or county sheriff’s office—who have successfully completed Tier 1 basic law enforcement training established by the law enforcement training board under Indiana Code (I.C.) 5-2-1-9(d) and are subsequently certified by the law enforcement training board to act as a law enforcement officer after June 30, 2025.
Two Pathways for Reimbursement
First, if the officer voluntarily leaves the first public employer and is hired as a law enforcement officer by another public employer—such as the state, a state agency, a county, city, town, school corporation, governing board of a charter school, airport authority, or a hospital licensed under I.C. 16-21-2 or a health system that is a unit of state or local government or owned/operated by such a unit— the first agency may submit a reimbursement claim to the new agency. The amount reimbursed depends on how soon the officer leaves after completing training and becoming certified:100% if within one year of certification, 66% if within two years, and 33% if within three years. After three years, no reimbursement may be claimed. The subsequent public employer must notify the previous employer in writing within 10 days of the individual’s hire date. Officers are never personally liable for repayment in this situation; only agencies reimburse each other.
Second, if the officer leaves voluntarily to work for a private employer, the initial employer may require repayment from the officer only if the officer voluntarily signed a reimbursement contract before being hired. This contract must state the actual costs and follow the same percentage schedule as listed above. The initial employer must provide written notice to the individual of the requirement to sign the contract before hiring. If no contract exists, the officer owes nothing. It is the responsibility of the individual officer, not the subsequent employer, to fulfill this obligation if the officer signed a reimbursement contract.
What ‘Costs’ Can Be Reimbursed?
The following costs incurred by the first public employer may be reimbursed:
- Hiring exams: The cost of exams given when hiring the officer.
- Basic training: Fees and costs for the officer’s basic training.
- Specialized training: Fees and costs for any extra training within one year after the officer is certified.
- Supplies and equipment: Items provided to the officer that can’t be reused, given within one year after certification.
- Salary and benefits: The officer’s salary and benefits during:
- The first year of employment, if they worked for at least one year; or
- The time they worked, if they were employed for less than one year.
What the New Law Means
SEA 95 marks a policy shift in how Indiana protects public investments in law enforcement officers. By allowing agencies to recover training costs when officers leave shortly after being certified, the law encourages retention and fairness among employers. This law also discourages “job hopping,” which means greater stability in staffing and a better return on investment in officer development.
To take advantage of SEA 95, public employers must ensure they are tracking the costs of training, have prepared a notice document for the individual, have a contract that meets the requirements for subsequent non-public employers, and have the appropriate forms from the State Board of Accounts on hand.
For more information on these new reporting requirements, please contact the authors or any attorney with Frost Brown Todd’s Government Services Practice Group.
*Katherine Fauber, a second-year law student at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, contributed to this article while working as a summer associate at Frost Brown Todd.