Rep. Doug Miller

Creates the agricultural promotion and regulation task force to study various agriculture related topics. Makes changes to requirements for the readoption of administrative rules. Repeals, merges, consolidates, or otherwise modifies various boards, commissions, and other governmental bodies. Modifies or establishes various funds. Makes changes to the membership, duties, and operations of various boards, commissions, and other governmental bodies. Expands the applicability of a statute concerning county hospital governance to Perry County, Spencer County, and Orange County. Repeals the fire prevention and building safety commission (commission). Transfers the commission's responsibilities and administrative rules to the department of homeland security. Makes certain changes to the administration of building and safety statutes and building and safety codes. Makes technical corrections. Makes an appropriation.

Provides that a county board or assessing official shall not enter a property to conduct a physical inspection without first receiving the permission of the taxpayer to enter the property. Provides that under specific circumstances, that an individual may serve as a tax representative of any taxpayer concerning property subject to property taxes. Changes the expiration date for the county option circuit breaker tax credit. Describes elements that must be included in a report that must be prepared by the department of local government finance and presented to an interim study committee regarding automated valuation systems.

Requires the Indiana housing and community development authority (authority) to establish eligibility criteria for a potential recipient to be included in the authority's application for funding under the federal continuum of care program (program). Requires a recipient of program funding to submit an annual report to the authority. Defines "gravely disabled" for purposes of involuntary commitment. Prohibits an individual from camping, sleeping, or using for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law. Requires a law enforcement officer who discovers a person unlawfully using land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unlawful camping, sleeping, or long term shelter to determine if there are reasonable grounds for an emergency detention of the person, and, if reasonable grounds exist, to proceed under the emergency detention procedure and not the criminal law. Provides that, if there are not grounds for emergency detention and certain elements are met, a person who knowingly or intentionally uses land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long term shelter commits a Class C misdemeanor. Creates a defense to the crime if: (1) no beds are available in a shelter or treatment facility located within five miles; or (2) less than six months have passed since the person was released from a facility to which the person was involuntarily committed. Prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any policy that prohibits or discourages the enforcement of any order or ordinance prohibiting public camping, sleeping, or other obstruction of a sidewalk. Requires: (1) each local law enforcement agency to provide to the state police department the number of arrests made for violations of the prohibition of street camping; and (2) the state police department to provide this information to the authority. Specifies that the bill does not prohibit a policy, program, or order of a political subdivision that encourages a diversion program or encourages or requires providing housing or shelter in lieu of a citation or arrest. Makes technical corrections.

Amends, repeals, or adds certain terms. Makes certain changes concerning the purpose, structure, and powers of the department of environmental management (department) or the environmental rules board. Prohibits the department from basing a decision solely on federal risk values that have not been promulgated through federal rulemaking. Instructs the department to avoid the use of federal risk values that are at or below background concentrations in air, water, soil, or sediment. Makes certain changes to various boards or funds. Eliminates or amends rulemaking provisions. Makes certain changes to hearing and permitting processes. Changes or eliminates certain reporting requirements. Makes various changes to the water pollution statutes. Makes various changes to the solid waste and hazardous waste management statutes. Repeals or amends various sections regarding: (1) hazardous substances; (2) the voluntary remediation programs; (3) regional water districts; and (4) citizen lawsuits. Amends provisions concerning the establishment of certain fees and the use of fee schedules. Repeals the division of pollution prevention and the office of voluntary compliance. Makes conforming, stylistic, and technical changes.

Allows a public agency to establish and maintain an electronic portal for submission of public records requests that: (1) incorporates CAPTCHA or an equivalent mechanism for ensuring that a requestor is a human; (2) requires verification of a requestor's physical address; (3) indicates to the public agency whether the requestor is a resident of Indiana; and (4) automatically tracks and reports submissions suspected to be automated or to have originated from known sources of phishing or data scraping. Provides that a public agency may deny a public record request if the request: (1) is made by a person that is a party to pending or ongoing litigation; and (2) is duplicative of a discovery request made by the person in the pending or ongoing litigation. Provides that: (1) a public agency may decline to respond to a public records request if the public agency suspects: (A) the request to be data scraping or phishing activity; or (B) that responding to the request electronically may: (i) expose the public agency's electronic systems or data to unauthorized access or alteration; or (ii) otherwise jeopardize the security of the public agency's electronic systems or data; and (2) if the public agency declines to respond to the request, the public agency must report: (A) the request; and (B) the public agency's reason for declining to respond to the request; to the public access counselor. Allows a public agency to collect a supplemental fee for processing public records requests submitted by non-Indiana residents or out-of-state entities. Allows a public agency to give priority in fulfilling public records requests to: (1) Indiana residents; and (2) requests submitted for civic, journalistic, academic, or personal use. Requires public agencies to report to the public access counselor regarding public records requests suspected of being automated, data scraping activity, or phishing activity (suspect public records requests). Provides that the general assembly may establish reasonable and narrowly tailored procedural safeguards to preserve the integrity and availability of public agency resources. Requires the public access counselor to: (1) take specified actions with regard to identifying excessive and suspect public records requests; and (2) include in the public access counselor's annual report: (A) information regarding the volume and nature of public records requests received by public agencies, including information regarding suspect public records requests reported by public agencies; and (B) recommendations to the general assembly regarding statutory or administrative remedies to excessive and suspect public records requests.

Revises the allocation of money available for making loans from the residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund. Adds requirements regarding the location of impact zones designated by a county, city, or town (unit) after June 30, 2026. Requires a unit to approve a project that complies with the legal restrictions in effect on the date the project's permit application is submitted. After December 31, 2026, restricts a unit's ability to impose and increase fees related to building approvals and permits. Delays the implementation of building permit increases to 180 days after publication of the ordinance. Beginning January 1, 2027, requires a unit to annually report the unit's housing status to the Indiana housing and community development authority. Requires the department of environmental management to review and update its Indiana Storm Water Quality Manual not later than December 1, 2026. Prohibits the state or local government from requiring a person intending to fill land in a flood plain to provide compensatory storage at a ratio greater than three (mitigated land) to one (filled land). Requires a unit to forfeit or refund regulatory fees if the unit fails to meet statutory deadlines for issuing a Class 2 building permit. After June 30, 2026, prohibits a state agency or political subdivision from requiring the installation of the following: (1) An arc-fault circuit interrupter in Class 2 structure or structure classified as an R-2 building occupancy classification. (2) An emergency responder communications enhancement system in a Class 1 structure. Repeals a provision that would have reinstated on July 1, 2027, the statute in effect before its amendment in the 2023 regular session of the general assembly setting forth the authorization and procedures for establishing a residential housing development program (program). Amends the current statute for establishing a program to provide that a program terminates: (1) 25 years (instead of 20 years) after the date on which the first obligation was incurred to pay principal and interest on obligations payable from tax increment revenues from the program; or (2) on the date on which the bond obligations or lease rentals are satisfied. Requires a unit not later than January 1, 2027 to: (1) review its unified development ordinance in a public hearing with the purpose of increasing housing development; and (2) report to the executive director of legislative services agency. Urges assignment of the topic of housing developments by religious institutions to an interim study committee. Resolves conflicts for IC 36-2-4-8, which was amended by both P.L.22-2021 and P.L.152-2021. Increases the average construction cost allowable for certain housing projects to be completed by a housing authority. Provides that bonds, notes, or warrants of a housing authority may be sold at less than par value at a negotiated sale.

Allows, if certain conditions are met, a homeowners association to increase a budget, without a quorum, in an amount not to exceed 110% of the amount of the last approved budget, within five years after the first sale of a lot or unit from a developer to a person not associated with the developer. Prohibits a homeowners association from charging a fee associated with any service provided by the homeowners association. Allows, if certain conditions are met, a homeowners association to increase an annual budget without a quorum in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of: (1) 105% of the last approved budget; or (2) the average increase of the Consumer Price Index for housing in the Midwest for the prior 12 months. Prohibits a homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a regulation, rule, or other policy that prohibits a person from maintaining an amateur radio antenna. Specifies that a homeowners association may not prohibit or restrict a person from operating a Class I child care home or providing certain child care if the person resides within and owns, rents, or leases the single family residence where child care services are provided.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing the 70th anniversary of The Arc of Indiana and honoring its enduring leadership and advocacy for Hoosiers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Maddy summarySB 27, titled "Vehicle Bill" (though the bill's actual content relates to stadiums, not vehicles), establishes the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority. This authority is created to acquire, build, and finance stadiums and related facilities in northwest Indiana. The bill outlines the authority's specific powers, including funding mechanisms and operational duties for managing these projects. The bill directly affects northwest Indiana communities by creating a dedicated entity to handle stadium development and financing.

Maddy summaryHR 51 is a commemorative resolution honoring Officer Brian Elliott, authored by Representative McGuire and coauthored by numerous representatives. It formally recognizes Officer Elliott's service and contributions, though it does not create any new laws or alter existing policies. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct policy impact or effect on specific groups beyond the ceremonial acknowledgment of the officer. The bill was adopted during its first reading on February 25, 2026.