The Chicago Bears’ potential move to Northwest Indiana took a key step Thursday morning.

The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee passed an amended Indiana Senate bill 24-0 that would set up a framework for a new Bears stadium in the area. The bill would establish the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which could acquire and finance certain facilities and set the powers and duties of the stadium authority.

[ Here’s a timeline of the Chicago Bears’ search for a new stadium ]

The bill now will move on to a full House vote. The 2026 Indiana House session is expected to end Feb. 27, setting a short deadline for how quickly the bill would need to be passed in the House and signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.

“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,” the Bears said in a statement. “We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana. We appreciate the leadership shown by Gov. Braun, Speaker Huston, Sen. Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe. We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”

Some details about how the proposed deal would be financed came out during Thursday’s meeting.

During the committee meeting on Thursday, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said that the Bears would pay $2 billion toward the stadium, as they would have with the Arlington Heights project. Huston also said the plan calls for creating new taxes to pay for the project infrastructure, including toll road revenue, food and beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, and an innkeepers tax in Lake County.

“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun said in a post on X. “We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly. The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we’ve demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers. We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.”

The move in Indiana comes as the Bears continue to negotiate with Illinois lawmakers in Springfield.

Over the past year, the franchise had turned its attention from Chicago’s lakefront to the 326-acre property it owns in Arlington Heights at the former Arlington International Racecourse, which it officially bought in 2023. But negotiations stalled last year for a bill that would allow the Bears to negotiate their property tax bill with local governments.

That forced the Bears to widen their search to Northwest Indiana.

Illinois lawmakers seemed more open to negotiating this year, with Indiana threatening to swoop in. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said progress on negotiations continued to be made when he spoke with reporters Wednesday.

But the Bears’ statement Thursday caught Pritzker by surprise.

Representatives from the governor’s office, Illinois lawmakers and the Bears met for three hours Wednesday, a meeting Pritzker called “very positive discussions” when he met with reporters Thursday. He said the two parties mostly agreed on a bill that would’ve moved forward in the Illinois Revenue and Finance Committee on Thursday morning. The bill likely would freeze the Bears’ property tax assessment for up to 40 years and provide more than $850 million in infrastructure support.

Instead, Pritzker said the Bears asked to not move forward with the bill Thursday because they wanted to tweak a few items.

“They’re saying that statement is not some confirmation that they’re moving to Indiana but rather that Indiana had asked them to say they’re going to move forward with the negotiations in Indiana,” Pritzker told reporters. “But I have to say, it’s very disappointing to hear that they would put that statement out but not say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois. But we’re waiting to here from the Bears what they would like to do next.”

Pritzker laid out his case with reporters Thursday.

He noted the importance of protecting Illinois taxpayers. Recent stadium deals across the NFL, including most recently with the Kansas City Chiefs’ move over to Kansas from Missouri, have resulted in large amounts of taxpayer money funding private stadiums. Pritzker hasn’t been open to giving taxpayer money to build a stadium, something the Bears have not asked for with Arlington Heights, but said he’s open to infrastructure support.

Pritzker also said he wants affordability to play a factor in negotiations, noting he wants fans to be able to afford to go to games and pay for things at games.

“I’m surprised, dismayed, very disappointed at what I saw in a statement,” Pritzker said. “Again, the Bears post that have said ‘we didn’t really mean’ that they’re moving to Indiana, which is kind of the implication of it. But it’s apparently not true.”