APRIL 4, 2025

For those awaiting an update on SB 1, please keep an eye on your inboxes next week. We anticipate a busy week ahead, including a bill amendment and committee hearing. In the meantime, we encourage you to watch and share our animated video explaining how Indiana’s property tax system works. It’s a helpful resource as discussions around property taxes continue this session.

The Big Issues

LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE

  • HB 1427 is the annual omnibus local government finance bill that includes many provisions that Aim supports including a new process for budget continuances that is more friendly to local government, the reinstatement of overlapping allocation areas in TIF districts if both the city and the county agree to it, and the addition of new food and beverage taxes to several communities.
  • However, there is language in this bill that cuts all cable franchise fees paid to local governments by 1 point, a reduction of at least 20% in all franchise fee revenue and up to 50% depending on the rate being charged by the individual municipality. These fees support necessary right-of-way maintenance and returning rights-of-way to working conditions after cable installation or maintenance.
  • HB 1427, authored by Rep. Craig Snow (R-Warsaw) and sponsored by Sen. Eric Bassler (R-Washington), passed the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee with a vote of 8-5.

MOBILE AND MANUFACTURED HOMES

  • HB 1477 would give the courts and the Indiana Department of Health resources to start enforcement action against mobile home community owners who are not paying utility bills on behalf of their residents so that utilities, including municipal utilities, are not in a position where they have to disconnect water service to the entire mobile home community. It also provides some clarifying language for planning and zoning requirements around mobile and manufactured housing.
  • Aim worked with the bill author, along with the Manufactured Housing Association, to make sure that this language would be a valuable tool in getting bad actors throughout the state into compliance without negatively affecting residents.
  • HB 1477, authored by Rep. Alex Zimmerman (R-North Vernon) and sponsored by Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen), passed the Senate unanimously this week and will now be returned to the House for concurrence.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

  • As introduced, both HB 1633 and SB 355 would have moved municipal elections to the presidential election cycle, ending the short municipal ballot on odd numbered years that keeps elections focused on critical local issues instead of simply being a down-ballot afterthought during a contentious national election.
  • HB 1633 has been amended to simply be a legislative study of the potential benefits of making this change in a future legislative session while SB 355 is unlikely to move forward in the House Elections Committee at all. Aim opposed these changes and worked to ensure that these concepts did not move forward this year.
  • HB 1633, authored by Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) and sponsored by Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton), passed the Senate Elections Committee on Monday with a vote of 6-2.

MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE

  • HB 1587 includes language that would provide a pathway for reimbursement through private insurance plans for mobile integrated healthcare programs, those that use EMS services to provide vital primary care services in their communities, particularly for the elderly and those who have recently been discharged from the hospital.
  • Aim supports this language as it will provide more financial stability and self-sufficiency to these programs and allow for their expansion across the state.
  • SB 1587, authored by Rep. Martin Carbaugh (R-Fort Wayne) and sponsored by Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton), passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday unanimously.

OBSCENITY

  • SB 326 would prohibit local governments from funding or hosting obscene performances, aimed at preventing sexually explicit events from being performed in public places.
  • The language in the bill is sufficiently punitive and vague that it will likely lead to increased litigation, conflicts with existing court rulings on neutral access to public facilities, and the unintended consequence of possibly blocking long-standing events that are not sexually explicit.
  • SB 326, authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) and sponsored by Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis), passed the House with a vote of 72-20.

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