SB 67 Indiana Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Studies relating to natural lands.

Summary
Requires the department of natural resources to study and issue a report on the following topics: (1) opportunities to leverage public land to improve public health outcomes; (2) options for a consistent visitor fee collection system at state fish and wildlife areas; and (3) a plan to mitigate and recover from natural disasters affecting public land.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Dec 8, 2025 Last action Jan 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Senate Bill (H) Senate Bill (S) · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renumbered from SB 67.2 to SB 67.1 and updated with new dates reflecting its progression through the legislative process. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new definition for 'public health indicators,' which explicitly includes physical activity, mental health, and community well-being to guide the department's study. Additionally, the bill was reorganized to include a new Section 2 for definitions, while the study topics were renumbered and slightly reworded to clarify the relationship between public lands and health outcomes.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded by adding a formal definition for 'public health indicators,' ensuring the study specifically addresses physical activity, mental health, and community well-being in relation to public lands.
TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from SB 67.2 to SB 67.1, and all associated dates in the digest and header were updated to reflect the current version of the bill.

The final section number was updated from Section 6 to Section 7 to accommodate the new Section 2.

DEFINITION

A new Section 2 was added to define 'public health indicators' as physical activity, mental health, and community well-being, providing specific criteria for the upcoming study.

REQUIREMENT

The study requirements were reorganized and renumbered; the first topic was reworded to focus on the 'relationship' between public land access and public health indicators rather than just 'opportunities to leverage' land.

The list of entities the department may consult with was slightly modified to remove the specific exclusion regarding stakeholders with a 'direct financial interest,' broadening the pool of potential advisors.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 27, 2026

How they voted

2817
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 48
Jan 27, 2026
D Democratic9
8 Yea 1
88% Yea
R Republican39
20 Yea 17 Nay 2
51% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
3
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 90: yeas 29, nays 17
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Amendment #1 (Yoder) prevailed; voice vote
upper
Jan 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee report: do pass, adopted
upper
4 primary · 7 co-sponsors

Sponsors