Rep. Dave Hall

Provides that a racing facility or racetrack or any of its appurtenances is not and does not become a nuisance, public or private, within the area of the racing facility or racetrack, in an action brought by a person who purchased or improved property within the area of the racing facility or racetrack or its appurtenances after the racing facility or racetrack initially commenced operation as a racing facility or racetrack.

Designates as a qualified withdrawal for Indiana529 plan (529 plan) purposes a withdrawal of funds from the 529 plan in order to make a contribution to a Roth IRA, pursuant and subject to the limitations of the federal SECURE 2.0 Act. Requires the Indiana education savings authority to coordinate with the treasurer of state in the administration of contributions to 529 plans.

Maddy summaryHB 1203 requires research facilities to offer dogs or cats for adoption when they are no longer needed for research purposes. This bill directly affects research facilities that house dogs or cats used in scientific studies. The key provision mandates that facilities make these animals available through adoption programs instead of euthanizing or rehoming them through other channels. The legislation aims to provide a second chance for animals previously used in research, focusing on their welfare without altering research protocols.

Requires a municipality that initiates an annexation to file an annexation petition (petition) with a court signed by: (1) at least 51% of the owners of non-tax exempt land in the annexation territory; or (2) the owners of at least 75% in assessed valuation of non-tax exempt land in the annexation territory. Eliminates: (1) remonstrances and waivers; (2) reimbursement of remonstrator's attorney's fees and costs; (3) settlement agreements in lieu of annexation; (4) contiguity of a public highway provisions; and (5) a required fiscal plan for certain super voluntary annexations. Reduces the number of outreach meetings from six to three. For super voluntary annexations, requires a municipality to: (1) hold a hearing on the petition within 90 (instead of 30) days; (2) adopt an annexation ordinance within 120 (instead of 60) days. Allows a super voluntary annexation of noncontiguous land for business, industrial, or residential development, if: (1) the landowner and municipal utility agree on the provision of gas, electric, water, or sewer service to the property; and (2) the county executive timely approves the petition. Allows noncontiguous land annexed in a super voluntary annexation to be used for additional voluntary or super voluntary annexations of contiguous land. After December 31, 2026, allows signatures on petitions to be gathered by mail. Provides that annexation territory that is divided by railroad tracks satisfies contiguity requirements, if the territory on at least one side of the railroad tracks is contiguous to the municipality. Grandfathers in annexations that adopt: (1) a fiscal plan before March 30, 2026; or (2) an annexation ordinance before March 30, 2026 (if a fiscal plan is not required by current law). Removes obsolete provisions.

Provides a credit against state tax liability for expenses incurred in the manufacture of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) in Indiana. Establishes procedures under which certain energy utilities may request approval for one or more of the following from the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC): (1) An expedited generation resource plan (EGR plan) to meet customer load growth that exceeds a specified threshold. (2) A generation resource submittal for the acquisition of a specific generation resource in accordance with an approved EGR plan. (3) A project to serve one or more large load customers. Sets forth: (1) the requirements for approval of each of these types of requests; (2) standards for financial assurances by large load customers; and (3) cost recovery mechanisms for certain acquisition costs or project costs incurred by energy utilities. Amends the statute concerning public utilities' annual electric resource planning reports to the IURC to provide that for an annual report submitted after December 31, 2025, a public utility must include information as to the amount of generating resource capacity or energy that the public utility plans to retire or refuel with respect to any electric generation resource of at least 125 megawatts. Provides that for any planned retirement or refueling, the public utility must include, along with other specified information, information as to the public utility's plans with respect to the following: (1) For a retirement, the amount of replacement capacity identified to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate regional transmission organization (RTO) as the capacity of the facility to be retired. (2) For a refueling, the extent to which the refueling will maintain or increase the current generating resource accredited capacity or energy that the electric generating facility provides, so as to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate RTO. Requires IURC staff to prepare a staff report for each public utility report that includes a planned electric generation resource retirement. Provides that if, after reviewing a public utility's report and any related staff report, the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall conduct an investigation into the reasons for the public utility's inability to meet these requirements. Provides that if the public utility's report indicates that the public utility plans to retire an electric generating facility within one year of the date of the report, the IURC must conduct such an investigation. Provides that: (1) a public utility may request, not earlier than three years before the planned retirement date of an electric generation facility, that the IURC conduct an investigation into the planned retirement; and (2) if the IURC conducts an investigation at the request of the public utility within that three year period, the IURC may not conduct a subsequent investigation that would otherwise be required under the bill's provisions unless the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics as of the time the investigation would otherwise be required. Provides that if a CPCN is granted by the IURC for a facility intended to repower or replace a generation unit that is planned for retirement, and the CPCN includes findings that the project will result in at least equivalent accredited capacity and will provide economic benefit to ratepayers as compared to the continued operation of the generating unit to be retired, the CPCN constitutes approval by the IURC for purposes of an investigation that would otherwise be required. Provides that if, after an investigation, the IURC determines that the capacity resources available to the public utility will not be adequate to allow the public utility to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirements and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall issue an order: (1) directing the public utility to acquire or construct; or (2) prohibiting the retirement or refueling of; such capacity resources that are reasonable and necessary to enable the public utility to meet these requirements. Provides that if the IURC does not issue an order in an investigation within 120 days after the initiation of the investigation, the public utility is considered to be able to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics with respect to the retirement of the facility under investigation. Provides that if the IURC issues an order to prohibit the retirement or refueling of an electric generation resource, the IURC shall create a sub-docket to authorize the public utility to recover in rates the costs of the continued operation of the electric generation resource proposed to be retired or refueled, subject to a finding by the IURC that the continued costs of operation are just and reasonable. Makes a technical change to another Indiana Code section to recognize the redesignation of subsections within the section containing these provisions.

Amends the state sales and use tax exemption for data centers to include projects for investments in a quantum computing research, advanced computing, and defense infrastructure network that result in a minimum qualified investment within five years of at least $50,000,000.

Requires (rather than allows) a city, town, or county (unit) that requires a building permit for construction of a Class 2 structure to allow the inspection to be provided by private providers in addition to the unit's inspectors. Provides that a "home inspector" or a unit employee may not act as a private provider. Provides that if an applicant uses a private provider because the unit is unable to timely perform a plan review, the unit: (1) must refund the applicant for any plan review fees; and (2) may charge a convenience fee of not more than $100. Provides that a unit: (1) may not require a registered architect or engineer to prepare construction documents for a Class 2 structure when constructed in accordance with the building code; and (2) may require a registered architect or engineer to prepare construction documents as proof of equivalence of alternative materials, appliances, equipment, or method of design or construction. If required by the unit, creates deadlines for the following: (1) Issuance of building permits. (2) Performance of plan reviews. (3) Performance of inspections. (4) Submission of construction documents or plans. (5) Issuance of certificates of occupancy or certificates of completion and compliance. Requires the state to give political subdivisions that enact certain land use policies priority in receiving loans from the residential housing infrastructure assistance revolving fund.

Prohibits a water utility from constructing a long haul water pipeline unless the water utility first obtains a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC). Sets forth specified information that an application for a CPCN must include. Sets forth specified findings that the IURC must make before granting a CPCN. Sets forth conditions under which a water utility may recover through rates the actual costs the water utility incurs in reliance on a CPCN issued by the IURC. Provides that a person that transfers, sells, or leases a long haul water pipeline must provide written notice to the IURC of the transfer, sale, or lease not later than 60 days after the transfer, sale, or lease is finalized. Prohibits a person that transfers or proposes to transfer: (1) more than an annual average of 30,000,000 gallons of water per day out of a basin; or (2) water from a restricted use area; from transferring water out of a basin, or supplying water to another person that the person knows will transfer more than 100,000 gallons of water out of a basin, without first obtaining a transfer permit from the department of natural resources (department). Sets forth specified information that must be included in an application for a transfer permit. Provides that a transfer permit is required for an existing or ongoing interbasin transfer (as of July 1, 2025) if the existing or ongoing transfer exceeds the capacity of any system engaged in the interbasin transfer in any 90 day period. Provides that the department shall approve an application for a permit if the department determines that the transfer: (1) will not result in a perennial overdraft of a ground water resource or in a perennial stream flow depletion; and (2) is in the public interest, as described in the Indiana Code section concerning beneficial uses of Indiana's surface water resources. Provides that a transfer permit: (1) does not expire; and (2) may be renewed, revoked, suspended, or modified in certain circumstances. Provides that the department may assess a civil penalty for violations of these provisions.

Changes the defined term of "delegate" to "commissioner" in reference to an individual who is appointed to represent Indiana at an Article V convention. Specifies that an individual must satisfy the following requirements to be appointed as a commissioner or alternate commissioner: (1) have resided in Indiana for the past five years; (2) may not currently be registered as a lobbyist under certain regulations or have been registered within the past five years; and (3) may not have been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or served any part of a felony sentence within the past 10 years. Provides that it is assumed the general assembly shall appoint three commissioners to represent Indiana at an Article V convention. Requires the commissioners to select a chair for the Article V convention. Prohibits a commissioner or alternate commissioner from accepting a gratuity while serving as a commissioner or alternate commissioner. Requires the general assembly to adopt a joint resolution prohibiting commissioners and alternative commissioners from voting to amend certain provisions of the Constitution of the United States.

Allows counties that meet certain criteria to adopt an ordinance to impose a surcharge of not more than $1 in addition to the fees charged by the department of natural resources (department) for entry into certain state parks and recreation areas. Provides that the surcharge may not be imposed on an annual state park pass holder. Requires the department to collect and to report and pay the surcharge to each county treasurer. Provides that the surcharge collected is to be used for certain purposes.