HB 1473 Indiana House · 2025 Regular Session

Pocket annexations.

Summary

Allows a municipality to annex unincorporated property that becomes completely surrounded by the municipality after June 30, 2025. Requires the municipality to: (1) adopt an annexation fiscal plan; (2) provide notice to landowners in the territory; and (3) hold a public hearing. Provides that the following apply in a pocket annexation: (1) The annexation territory may be divided by railroad tracks. (2) The annexation territory satisfies the contiguity requirements, if the territory on at least one side of the railroad tracks is contiguous to the municipality.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Feb 20, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced House Bill (H) → House Bill (S) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill was amended to update its effective date to after June 30, 2025, and added new provisions allowing pocket annexations to be divided by railroad tracks while maintaining contiguity requirements. The changes clarify when the pocket annexation rules apply and expand how municipalities can legally annex isolated properties.

Scope change

The bill now applies to unincorporated property that becomes completely surrounded by a municipality after June 30, 2025, rather than just any property surrounded at the time of introduction.

TIMELINE

Added specific effective date language requiring property to become surrounded after June 30, 2025, instead of applying to any surrounded property regardless of when it became surrounded.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provisions allowing annexation territory to be divided by railroad tracks, with contiguity requirements satisfied if territory on at least one side of tracks is contiguous to the municipality.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill title from 'Introduced House Bill' to 'House Bill' and changed digest header from 'Introduced Bill' to 'HB 1473' to reflect legislative status change.

Floor votes · House Feb 10, 2025

How they voted

89–1

Passed · 10 other

Total votes 100

Feb 10, 2025

D Democratic29

26 Yea 3

89% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican70

62 Yea 1 Nay 7

88% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third reading: passed; Roll Call 115: yeas 89, nays 1

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

lower

2 primary · 2 co-sponsors