New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- The Chicago Bears moved significantly closer to potentially building a new stadium in northwest Indiana on February 19, 2026, after the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee passed an amended version of Senate Bill 27 with a unanimous 24-0 vote. The legislation sets up the framework for a state-backed deal that could see the NFL franchise relocate just across the Illinois border to a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond.

The committee's approval clears a critical obstacle for Senate Bill 27, which creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority.

This new entity would have the power to issue bonds, buy land, fund construction, and hammer out a long-term lease with the Bears for a state-of-the-art domed stadium.

The Indi...