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 will now 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 Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator 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,” Indiana Gov. Mike 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. The Illinois Revenue and Finance Committee had been scheduled to look at a bill on Thursday that would freeze the Bears’ property tax assessment for up to 40 years and provide more than $850 million in infrastructure support. But that meeting was cancelled. No reason was given for the cancellation.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said progress on negotiations continued to be made when he spoke with reporters Wednesday.

“Illinois was ready to move this bill forward,” Pritzker spokesman Matt Hill said in a statement Thursday morning on X. “After a productive three-hour meeting yesterday, the Bears leaders requested the (General Assembly) pause the hearing to make further tweaks to the bill. This morning, we were surprised to see a statement lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois.”