Ind. Code ch. 10-17-12

Ind. Code ch. 10-17-12
in effect

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-0.7 Purpose of fund

Sec. 0.7. The purpose of the fund established in section 8 of this chapter is to provide short term financial assistance to qualifying applicants for housing, utilities, medical services, basic transportation, child care, education, employment, food, and other essential family support expenses that qualifying applicants are not otherwise able to afford. As added by P.L.50-2009, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.169-2013, SEC.4; P.L.99-2016, SEC.6; P.L.53-2021, SEC.1; P.L.61-2023, SEC.5; P.L.94-2026, SEC.47.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-1 Repealed

As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.50-2009, SEC.2. Repealed by P.L.99-2016, SEC.7.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-2 "Armed forces"

Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "armed forces" includes the active or reserve components of the following: (1) The United States Army. (2) The United States Navy. (3) The United States Marine Corps. (4) The United States Air Force. (5) The United States Space Force. (6) The United States Coast Guard. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.50-2009, SEC.3; P.L.238-2025, SEC.32.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-3 Repealed

As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.11. Repealed by P.L.113-2010, SEC.170.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-3.5 "Commission"

Sec. 3.5. As used in this chapter, "commission" refers to the Indiana veterans' affairs commission established by IC 10-17-13-4. As added by P.L.113-2010, SEC.76.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-3.7 "Court martial"

Sec. 3.7. As used in this chapter, "court martial" has the meaning set forth in IC 10-16-1-8. As added by P.L.53-2021, SEC.2.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-4 "Department"

Sec. 4. As used in this chapter, "department" refers to the Indiana department of veterans' affairs established by IC 10-17-1-2. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-5 "Director"

Sec. 5. As used in this chapter, "director" refers to the director of veterans' affairs. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-5.5 "Dependent"

Sec. 5.5. As used in this chapter, "dependent" has the meaning set forth in 37 U.S.C. 401, as in effect on January 1, 2009. As added by P.L.50-2009, SEC.4.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-6 "Fund"

Sec. 6. As used in this chapter, "fund" refers to the military family relief fund established by section 8 of this chapter. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-7 "National guard"

Sec. 7. As used in this chapter, "national guard" means: (1) the Indiana Army National Guard; or (2) the Indiana Air National Guard. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-7.5 Repealed

As added by P.L.50-2009, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.99-2016, SEC.8; P.L.42-2020, SEC.12; P.L.53-2021, SEC.3; P.L.238-2025, SEC.33. Repealed by P.L.94-2026, SEC.48.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-8 Establishment of the fund; eligibility

Sec. 8. (a) The military family relief fund is established. (b) Except as provided in section 9 of this chapter, the department shall expend the money in the fund exclusively to provide grants for assistance as described in section 0.7 of this chapter. (c) The department shall give priority to applications for grants for assistance from the fund to applicants who have never received a grant under this chapter. (d) Subject to the approval of the budget agency, the commission shall establish the maximum total dollar amount of grants that may be expended in a state fiscal year. Once the maximum total dollar amount of grants that may be expended in a state fiscal year is reached, no additional grants may be authorized until the start of the following state fiscal year. (e) The director shall each year provide a report to the budget committee concerning the grant program under this chapter. (f) The commission shall administer the fund. (g) The department shall report to the commission, at least quarterly, on the status of all applications filed during the previous quarter. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.12; P.L.151-2007, SEC.2; P.L.3-2008, SEC.86; P.L.50-2009, SEC.6; P.L.113-2010, SEC.77; P.L.54-2012, SEC.1; P.L.169-2013, SEC.5; P.L.7-2014, SEC.1; P.L.99-2016, SEC.9; P.L.42-2020, SEC.13; P.L.94-2026, SEC.49.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-8.1 Eligibility conditions

Sec. 8.1. To be eligible for a grant from the fund, an applicant must be an Indiana resident who meets at least one (1) of the following conditions: (1) Is serving in: (A) the armed forces of the United States; or (B) the national guard (as defined in IC 5-9-4-4). (2) Has served in or been discharged from the armed forces of the United States or the national guard under conditions other than the following: (A) Discharge by court martial. (B) Acceptance of a discharge to avoid a court martial. (C) Discharge for having committed any of the following: (i) An offense against the security of the United States, including spying, mutiny, or treason. (ii) An act of willful or persistent misconduct, including desertion. (iii) A sexual or violent offense against another person, including molestation, rape, or assault. (iv) An act described on the list of disallowable separation codes adopted under section 10.5 of this chapter. (3) Is the dependent of an individual described in subdivision (1) or (2). As added by P.L.94-2026, SEC.50.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-8.3 Assessment of applicant financial condition and needs

Sec. 8.3. (a) The department shall make a comprehensive assessment of an applicant's financial condition and needs when making a determination regarding an award from the fund. (b) The department shall use the most recently available poverty guidelines set forth by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the evaluation of an applicant's financial eligibility. (c) The applicant's federal gross income or combined federal gross income of the applicant and the applicant's spouse shall be calculated at the time of the application and be based on the two (2) most recent consecutive pay stubs. The department shall use this calculation to annualize the applicant's and the applicant's spouse's federal gross income. (d) An applicant may not be eligible for assistance from the fund if the applicant's federal gross income, or the combined federal gross income of the applicant and the applicant's spouse, exceeds two (2) times the poverty guideline unless the commission approves an income waiver under subsection (e). (e) The commission may waive the income threshold if the applicant requests a waiver in writing to the commission. The applicant must provide a statement letter and supporting documentation setting forth the reasons why a waiver should be granted. (f) The department shall consider other income or assets available to the applicant and the applicant's spouse and determine a threshold concerning the allowable amount of available assets. The asset limits shall be posted on the department's website. As added by P.L.94-2026, SEC.51.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-8.5 Demonstration of hardship

Sec. 8.5. (a) An applicant must establish that the applicant has incurred a genuine hardship to be eligible to receive assistance from the fund. The hardship incurred by the applicant must: (1) directly impact the applicant's most central and basic living needs; and (2) not be a consequence of the applicant's own actions or choices, including discretionary expenditures on nonessential goods or services. (b) The department shall not make an award from the fund to cover luxury, entertainment, recreational, or other nonessential expenses. As added by P.L.94-2026, SEC.52.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-8.8 Imposition of stipulations and conditions

Sec. 8.8. (a) The department or commission may impose stipulations or conditions concerning an applicant seeking an award from the fund. (b) If an applicant fails to satisfy any of the stipulations or conditions set forth by the department or commission, all applications submitted by the applicant shall be denied until the stipulation or condition is satisfactorily completed. (c) The stipulations or conditions may include: (1) meaningful engagement with the department of workforce development established by IC 22-4.1-2-1; (2) completion of a financial education course provided by the department; or (3) providing receipts from previous awards from the fund that evidence the award was used in accordance with the conditions or stipulations of the previous awards. (d) If the department determines that the applicant made a material misrepresentation during the application process, the application shall be denied. Any future application submitted by the applicant shall be reviewed by the commission. As added by P.L.94-2026, SEC.53.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-9 Funding sources; investment; nonreversion

Sec. 9. (a) The fund consists of the following: (1) Appropriations made by the general assembly. (2) Donations to the fund. (3) Interest. (4) Money transferred to the fund from other funds. (5) Annual supplemental fees collected under IC 9. (6) Money from any other source authorized or appropriated for the fund. (b) The commission shall transfer the money in the fund not currently needed to provide assistance or meet the obligations of the fund to the veterans' affairs trust fund established by IC 10-17-13-3. (c) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not revert to the state general fund or to any other fund. (d) There is annually appropriated to the commission for the purposes of this chapter all money in the fund not otherwise appropriated to the commission for the purposes of this chapter. (e) The department may use not more than an amount equal to: (1) the average annual amount of license plate revenue deposited into the fund as determined using the three (3) previous state fiscal years; multiplied by (2) ten percent (10%); to cover direct costs associated with the marketing and promotion of the fund in a particular state fiscal year. The department may not use any of this amount for administrative costs, including payroll or any other overhead expenses. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.13; P.L.50-2009, SEC.7; P.L.113-2010, SEC.78; P.L.198-2016, SEC.635; P.L.53-2021, SEC.4.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-10 Authority to adopt rules; grant eligibility requirements; grant requirements

Sec. 10. (a) The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 for the provision of grants under this chapter. Subject to subsection (b), the rules adopted under this section must address the following: (1) Eligibility criteria. (2) Application procedures. (3) A consideration of the extent to which an individual has used assistance available from other assistance programs before assistance may be provided to the individual from the fund. (4) Other areas in which the commission determines that rules are necessary to ensure the uniform administration of the grant program under this chapter. (b) The following apply to grants awarded under this chapter: (1) The maximum amount an individual may receive from the fund is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), unless a higher amount is approved by the commission. (2) The commission may consider the following in its analysis of the applicant's request for assistance in excess of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500): (A) The department's eligibility determination of the applicant. (B) Facts considered in the department's need determination. (C) The circumstances surrounding the applicant's hardship, if applicable. (D) Any substantive changes in the applicant's financial situation after the original application was submitted. (E) Facts that may have been unknown or unavailable at the time of the applicant's original application for assistance. (F) Other compelling circumstances that may justify assistance in excess of the two thousand five hundred dollar ($2,500) threshold. (3) An employee of the department who is otherwise eligible for a grant from the fund must submit the employee's application directly to the commission for review. The department shall have no influence in any part of the employee's application. (4) The commission shall approve or deny within sixty (60) days an application for a grant filed with the commission after June 30, 2019, by an employee of the department. The commission shall return an incomplete application with a notation as to omissions. The return of an incomplete application shall be without prejudice. (5) The department may engage with the applicant's identified vendor to verify debts or estimates and effectuate payment directly to the vendor. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.14; P.L.113-2010, SEC.79; P.L.99-2016, SEC.10; P.L.132-2019, SEC.2; P.L.42-2020, SEC.14; P.L.156-2020, SEC.49; P.L.53-2021, SEC.5; P.L.94-2026, SEC.54.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-10.5 Disallowable separation codes

Sec. 10.5. Not later than December 31, 2021, the commission shall develop, adopt, and issue a policy listing the disallowable separation codes of each branch of the armed forces. The commission shall review the policy for amendment and adopt any necessary amendments before July 1 of each year. As added by P.L.53-2021, SEC.6.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-11 Authority to request appropriations

Sec. 11. The director or a member of the commission may make a request to the general assembly for an appropriation to the fund. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.144-2007, SEC.15; P.L.113-2010, SEC.80.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-12 Donations; Internet capability

Sec. 12. The director shall establish the capability to receive donations to the fund from the public on the department's website. As added by P.L.58-2006, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.23-2026, SEC.64; P.L.94-2026, SEC.55.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-14 Grant application; timeline for approval or denial of application

Sec. 14. (a) Except as provided in section 15 of this chapter, the department shall approve or deny an application for a grant filed with the department within sixty (60) days. (b) The department shall notify the applicant by mail or electronic mail within seven (7) days after a determination is made concerning the applicant's application. As added by P.L.132-2019, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.94-2026, SEC.56.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-15 Incomplete grant applications

Sec. 15. The department may deny an incomplete application if all required documentation is not received within thirty (30) days after the date the applicant filed the application. If the thirty (30) day deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday under a state statute, the deadline for receiving the documentation shall be the next business day. The department shall return an incomplete application with a notation as to omissions. The return of an incomplete application shall be without prejudice. As added by P.L.132-2019, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.53-2021, SEC.7.

Ind. Code § 10-17-12-16 Appeal of department determinations

Sec. 16. (a) An applicant whose request for short term financial assistance from the fund is denied may appeal the determination by submitting an appeal letter to the department. (b) An applicant has thirty (30) days from the date of the postmark of the determination letter to appeal the decision. (c) The appeal shall be conducted in accordance with IC 4-21.5-3. As added by P.L.94-2026, SEC.57.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/10Fetched: 10/17/2026