Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, talks about his Family and Social Services Administration agency bill in committee on Monday, March 17, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Improvements are on the way for Indiana’s Adult Protective Services — the initiative protecting abused, exploited and neglected adults — after a 12-0 committee vote Monday morning.
Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, told committee members that the “clean-up” bill removes “antiquated” language and offers the Family and Social Services Administration more flexibility in drawing up contracts for Adult Protective Services.
Senate Bill 182 would specify that the entire chunk of Indiana Code dedicated to Adult Protective Services would apply to reports of suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation that are made by phone or online.
It would remove “habitual drunkenness” and “excessive drug use” from the list of conditions that might render adults incapable of taking care of themselves or their belongings — and at risk of harm. Left in the definition of an “endangered” adult would be dementia, intellectual disability, mental illness and other incapacities.
“It’s not something that requires an investigation of law enforcement as far as, are they being exploited financially or being harmed in some way by another individual? It’s more considered self-harm,” Crider told the Capital Chronicle.
He said his bill’s information-sharing provisions would make sure Hoosiers with substance abuse disorders are “appropriately referred over to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction,” instead of the Division of Aging. FSSA houses both.
Others provisions would introduce a record-keeping minimum, let the Adult Protective Services unit restrict records releases “to the extent that information … is needed to coordinate or implement services,” and require only an alleged victim’s consent for release.
Crider said the proposal arose from previous, successful legislation letting FSSA contract out to other entities when county prosecutors didn’t want to renew their contracts.
“A few issues came up as FSSA began to try to develop the contract language,” he said.
The bill removes language requiring the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council to concur on standards of practice and exceptions that currently allow for an Adult Protective Services unit or staffer to be appointed as the representative or guardian for an endangered adult. It also tweaks how cases are reported to law enforcement and others.
Crider said less than 2% of cases are referred for prosecution, and even fewer are prosecuted.
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