Garten to Guide Government Efficiency and Health Cost Solutions in Indiana

Indiana State Senator Chris Garten has been appointed to chair two major interim task forces: the Government Reform Task Force and the Health Care Cost Oversight Task Force. These leadership positions place Garten at the center of Indiana’s policymaking efforts as the General Assembly prepares for the 2026 legislative session.

Garten’s dual chairmanship signals a strong vote of confidence in his ability to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Hoosiers: modernizing government operations and curbing rising health care costs.

“In recent years, I have been working to find ways to make our state and local governments work more efficiently and effectively for Hoosier taxpayers,” Garten said. “Interim study committees allow lawmakers to have in-depth looks at issues impacting our communities, and I look forward to finding new ways to make our governments operate better ahead of the 2026 legislative session.”

In addition to chairing these two high-profile task forces, Garten will also serve on several other influential committees, including the Budget Committee, the Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative State of Emergency Advisory Group. These assignments place him in the heart of key budgetary and policy discussions shaping Indiana’s future.

The bipartisan Legislative Council—comprised of 16 voting members evenly split between the House and Senate—determines the focus of interim study committees each year. Their work allows legislators to dig into complex topics and hear from stakeholders before bills are drafted and debated in the regular session.

Committee hearings are scheduled throughout the summer and fall.