Except in case of an emergency or as otherwise directed by the Supreme Court, the following procedure shall be followed in amending the Indiana Rules of Court.
Rule 80.Procedure for Amending Rules
Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceTrial Rule 80 sets out the four-stage process the Indiana Supreme Court follows before any Rule of Court is amended — submission to the Chief Administrative Officer, quarterly publication, a thirty-day public comment period, and a final vote — and makes January 1 the default date new amendments take effect.
Full Text of Rule 80
(A) Submission of proposed rule amendments. Proposed rule amendments shall be presented to the Supreme Court’s Chief Administrative Officer in a WORD compatible format, clearly indicating added or deleted language and must be accompanied by the Form available on the Supreme Court’s website. The CAO shall provide regular reports to the Chief Justice regarding proposed rule amendments and shall be responsible for referring the proposed amendment to the appropriate committee or other entity for further study.
(B) Publication of proposed rule amendments. The Rules Committee shall publish proposed rule amendments on or before January 2, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year and at such other times are necessary.
(C) Comments. All comments on proposed amendments shall be delivered in writing to the Rules Com- mittee. Comments received by the Rules Committee shall be confidential unless otherwise ordered by the Supreme Court. The Rules Committee shall accept comments on the pro- posed amendment for a period of thirty days after publication, and may extend the period for comments. Thereafter, the Rules Committee shall study all comments received and shall submit the proposed final draft of each rule amendment, together with the associated com- ments, to the Supreme Court for its consideration.
(D) Publication of amended rules. The Supreme Court shall act on each proposed rule amendment received from the Rules Committee and shall publish each rule amendment adopted by the Supreme Court. On Janu- ary 1 of the following year, each rule amendment shall take effect unless the Supreme Court orders otherwise.
Amendment History
This rule’s current text took effect April 3, 2024. For the full history of earlier amendments and adoption orders, see the Indiana Office of Court Services.
Plain-English Summary
Trial Rule 80 describes how the Indiana Supreme Court changes its own rules, including the Rules of Trial Procedure. Outside of an emergency, or unless the Supreme Court directs otherwise, every amendment passes through the same stages. First, anyone proposing a change submits it to the Supreme Court’s Chief Administrative Officer in a Word-compatible file that marks the added and deleted language, along with the form the Supreme Court makes available for that purpose. The Chief Administrative Officer keeps the Chief Justice informed of what’s been proposed and sends each proposal to the right committee for study. Second, the Rules Committee publishes the proposals it’s studying on a regular cycle — on or before January 2, April 1, July 1, and October 1 each year — and at other times when needed.
Once a proposal is published, the public gets thirty days to send written comments to the Rules Committee, a window the Committee can extend. Those comments stay confidential unless the Supreme Court orders otherwise. After the comment period closes, the Rules Committee studies everything it received and forwards a final draft of the amendment, along with the comments, to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then decides whether to adopt each proposal and publishes the amendments it approves. Unless the Court says otherwise, an adopted amendment doesn’t take effect right away — it waits until January 1 of the following year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can propose an amendment to Indiana’s trial rules?
Rule 80 doesn’t limit who may submit a proposal, but every proposal has to go to the Supreme Court’s Chief Administrative Officer in a Word-compatible format that clearly marks the language being added or deleted, along with the form the Supreme Court makes available for that purpose.
How often are proposed rule amendments published for comment?
The Rules Committee publishes proposed amendments on a regular cycle — on or before January 2, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year — and at other times when it’s necessary.
How long do I have to comment on a proposed rule change?
Thirty days from the date the proposal is published, though the Rules Committee can extend that period. Comments must be in writing and delivered to the Rules Committee.
Are public comments on a proposed rule amendment confidential?
Yes, unless the Supreme Court orders otherwise. Comments received by the Rules Committee are kept confidential.
When does an adopted rule amendment take effect?
Unless the Supreme Court orders a different date, an amendment takes effect on January 1 of the year following its adoption.
Does Rule 80’s process apply if the Supreme Court needs to act quickly?
No. The rule’s ordinary submission, publication, comment, and adoption process gives way in an emergency, or whenever the Supreme Court directs a different approach.
What role does the Rules Committee play in the amendment process?
The Rules Committee publishes proposals, collects and studies the comments submitted on them, and forwards a proposed final draft of each amendment, together with the associated comments, to the Supreme Court for its decision.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure (T.R. 80). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Indiana, under its inherent constitutional rulemaking power (reaffirmed by Ind. Code 34-8-1-1 and 34-8-2-1); originally enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1969. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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