House and Senate committees continue to meet during the first half of this long budget session of the Indiana General Assembly, which is scheduled to conclude no later than April 29, 2025. AIA Indiana remains vigilant in protecting and promoting the state policy interests of Hoosier architects at the statehouse. See the information below regarding legislative actions this past week being monitored by AIA Indiana.

SB 8, school levy referenda, authored by Sen. Brian Buchanan (R - Lebanon), Sen. Mike Gaskill (R - Pendleton), and Sen. Linda Rogers (R - Granger), would restrict public questions regarding school capital projects, school operating, and school safety levies only to general elections or a to a primary election held in the year of a general election. Currently, public questions regarding property tax levies may be placed on the ballot of a general election, municipal election, a primary election, or a special election held at the taxing unit’s expense. AIA Indiana opposes SB 8!

SB 8 was heard in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee on January 28, but no vote was taken. If passed, this legislation will have serious consequences, including:

• Increased Costs for Schools and Taxpayers: Delaying school referenda will drive up expenses for capital projects due to rising construction costs, financing rates, and material prices. Needed repairs, renovations, and safety improvements will be postponed, placing a heavier financial burden on local taxpayers while at the same time jeopardizing the health and safety of students and faculty.
• Strained Resources & Higher Competition: By limiting school referenda to general election cycles, all school corporations will be forced onto the same narrow timeline. This will create unnecessary competition for design and construction services, further inflating costs for Hoosier taxpayers.
• The Current System Works: Voters already have a say, and many referenda fail. In 2023, 40% of school referenda did not pass, and since 2010, 36% of all referenda have failed. These ballot measures often drive voter turnout, sometimes drawing more participation than races for local offices like mayor or prosecutor. There is no need to change a system that already ensures community input and fiscal responsibility.

Take Action - Contact your state senator today and urge them to oppose SB 8. Protect local decision-making and keep school funding in the hands of voters—not state-imposed restrictions.

State Senate Phone - 800/382-9467

Email/Find Your Legislator - CLICK HERE

HB 1005, housing and building matters, authored by Rep. Doug Miller (R - Elkhart), appropriates $25 million over the next biennium to the Residential Housing Infrastructure Assistance Revolving Fund, which is administered by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and is used to fund loans for eligible participants in order to construct infrastructure related to residential housing. 

The bill includes language directing the IFA give first priority in funding to local governments that adopt at least eight of the following land use policies aimed at increasing housing availability and affordability:

• Enacting high-density single family and multifamily zoning.
• Allowing duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes in areas zoned, primarily for single family residential homes.
• Allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single family residential homes.
• Allowing multifamily development in retail, office, and light manufacturing zones.
• Allowing single room occupancy development wherever multifamily housing is allowed.
• Reducing minimum lot size.
• Increasing the allowable floor area ratio in multifamily housing areas.
• Streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timelines, including through one stop and parallel process permitting.
• Eliminating or reducing off-street parking requirements.
• Ensuring impact and utility investment fees accurately reflect required infrastructure needs and related impacts on housing affordability are otherwise mitigated.
• Reducing or eliminating minimum unit square footage requirements.
• Establishing density bonuses.
• Eliminating or relaxing residential property height limitation.
• Using property tax abatements to enable higher density and mixed income communities.
• Donating vacant land for affordable housing development. 

HB 1005 also introduces reforms to improve efficiency in the construction approval process: 

• Allowing private providers to conduct inspections for Class 2 structures, in addition to government inspectors.
• Establishing clear deadlines and procedures for approving building permits, plan reviews, and inspections, reducing delays that hinder development.

Overall, HB 1005 incentivizes smart housing policies that expand affordability, streamline construction processes, and remove regulatory barriers to development. By prioritizing funding for communities that adopt these measures, HB 1005 promotes responsible growth, increases housing supply, and enhances efficiency in Indiana’s building industry.

HB 1005 was heard this past Monday, January 27, in the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee. AIA Indiana testified in favor of the bill, which passed with a vote count 11-1. The bill will now be debated In the House Ways & Means Committee due to its fiscal impact.  

AIA Indiana supports HB 1005 and urges continued legislative action to advance housing and development solutions across the state.

HB 1198, local public work projects, authored by Rep. Ethan Lawson (R - Greenfield), changes the amount of a public work project that a local public works board may perform using its own workforce, without awarding a contract, from an estimated cost of less than $250,000 to an estimated cost of less than $500,000. The bill also exempts certain public work on public buildings from requiring architect or engineer approved plans and specifications if the project is classified as routine maintenance or upkeep or does not require a building permit from a city, town, or county. However, for public work on a public building exceeding $100,000 the project must follow plans and specifications approved by a licensed architect or engineer if the scope of work requires a design release.

The bill was heard in the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee and passed with a vote count of 12-0. HB 1198 will now be debated on the House floor. AIA Indiana will continue to monitor HB 1198 during this legislation session. 

HB 1637, school and public safety matters, authored by Rep. Steve Bartells (R - Eckerty), introduces several key public safety measures, including provisions directly impacting Hoosier AIA members. Key provisions in the bill include:

• Establishment of the Office of School Safety: Creates this office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate and manage school security and safety resources.
• Revised Secured School Safety Board Composition: Modifies the board’s structure to strengthen oversight and expertise in school safety initiatives.
• Annual Inspections of Protective Door Assemblies: Requires school safety plans to include yearly inspections of all protective door assemblies to ensure compliance with standards set by the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission.
• Expanded Inspection Options for Class 2 Structures: Mandates that local governments requiring a building permit for the construction of a Class 2 structure must allow inspections to be conducted by third-party inspectors.
• Streamlined Plan Reviews: Authorizes DHS to publish a list of projects eligible for release without requiring a formal plan review, improving efficiency in construction approvals.

On January 30, AIA Indiana testified in support of HB 1637 before the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee. During testimony, AIA Indiana recommended amending the bill to add a licensed architect with K-12 school design and construction experience to the Secured School Safety Board, ensuring expert input on school safety infrastructure. No vote was taken on the bill but it is expected to be heard again in committee with consideration of potential amendments. AIA Indiana will continue to closely follow HB 1637 as it progresses through the legislative process.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact AIA Indiana Executive Director Jason Shelley, Hon. AIA, at 317-634-6993 or jshelley@aiaindiana.org.