2021 Public Policy

2021 General Assembly: Below are bills that the FHCCI monitored which received hearings:

• HB 1114 (Miller): Residential building design elements. Would preempt local zoning except in some circumstances in regulating exterior design features. 
  • House Government & Regulatory Reform: Do Pass 8-5. You can watch the hearing here. Go to Feb 2 in the dropdown and scroll to 4:22 for the start of HB 1141. It’s the first bill to be heard.
  • Status: Bill was not brought to floor and failed.
  • Press of Interest:
    • Indiana lawmakers put local residential design requirements on chopping block
    • More vinyl villages? Lawmaker who builds homes pushes bill to eliminate housing standards
    • Elkhart lawmaker who builds homes is pushing Indiana bill to cut housing standards
    • Indiana bill seeking ban on local housing rules gets sidelined
• HB 1219 (Clere/Shackleford): This is a bill which would make needed changes to land contracts and Indiana landlord/tenant law. The FHCCI supported this bill; however, it did not receive a hearing. 
• HB 1314 (Torr): Recorded discriminatory covenants. Permits a person to file a statement or notice that a recorded discriminatory covenant is invalid and unenforceable.
  • This bill would allow amendment for language of historic covenants with discriminatory language. The FHCCI supports this bill but requests some amendments.
  • House Judiciary: Do Pass 9-0. Read the FHCCI testimony here. You can watch the hearing here. Go to Jan 25 in the dropdown and skip ahead to 1:57:03 for the start of HB 1314.
  • House Floor Vote: Passed the House 95-0. You can watch the House floor debate here. Choose Feb 1 in the dropdown and scroll to 2:07:25 for the start of debate.
  • Senate Judiciary: Do Pass 8-0. You can watch the committee hearing here. Go to March 3 in the dropdown and skip ahead to 17:30 for the start of HB 1314.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Passed the Senate 46-0. You can watch the Senate floor debate here. Choose March 9 in the dropdown and skip ahead to 47:32 for the HB 1314 discussion.
  • Signed by Governor on April 1, 2021.
  • Press:
    • ‘Fairly simple bill’ provides way to reject discriminatory land title restrictive covenants
    • New Indiana law addresses discriminatory language written into old home deeds
• HB 1541 (Manning): Landlord-tenant relations. With only one minor change, this is a repeat of the language in SEA 148 (see below) that Governor Holcomb vetoed last year. 
  • FHCCI does not support this bill. See our alert.
  • House Judiciary: Do Pass 8-3 with amendments. You can watch the committee hearing here. Go to Feb 16 in the dropdown and it’s the only bill heard. 
  • House Second Reading: Amendment debate – all defeated. You can watch the debate here on different amendments. Choose Feb 18 in the dropdown and scroll to 2:57:00 for the start of the discussion.
  • House Floor Vote: Do Pass 96-0.
  • Senate Local Government 3/4: You can watch the debate here on possibility of amendments. Choose March 4 in the dropdown and scroll to 1:23:05 for the start of the discussion. 
  • Senate Local Government 3/25: Do Pass 10-0 with amendments. You can watch the hearing here. Choose March 25 in the dropdown and scroll to 35:37 for the start of discussion. 
  • Senate Floor Vote: Do Pass 49-0.
  • Press:
    • GOP lawmakers try to wrest control over Democrat-controlled Indianapolis on everything from IndyGo to IMPD
    • Briggs: Indianapolis might not escape fed-up Republican lawmakers this time
• SB 99 (Sandlin): Property taxes. Allows for counties to establish a credit against property tax liability for qualified persons in so-called gentrifying areas. 
  • The FHCCI supports this bill with some amendments.
  • Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy: Do Pass 13-0. You can watch the hearing here. Go to Jan 12 in the dropdown and skip ahead to 17:50 on the video for SB 99 discussion.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Passed the Senate 42-7. You can watch the floor vote here. Choose Jan 26 in the dropdown and scroll to 50:50 for the start of debate.
  • House: Did not receive a committee hearing.
• SB 116 (Tallian): Landlord tenant settlement conference program. As drafted, would require a settlement conference prior to eviction in certain circumstances.
  • Senate Judiciary: You can watch the hearing here. Go to Feb 10 in the dropdown and it is the first bill heard.
  • Senate Judiciary: Do Pass with amendments 10-0. You can watch the hearing here. Go to Feb 17 in the dropdown and scroll to 4:02 for the bill discussion.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Attempts at amendments defeated. You can watch the floor debate here. Choose Feb 22 in the dropdown and scroll to 11:36 for the start of the debate. SB 116 was not taken to floor vote following.
• SB 130 (Sandlin): Renaming cities. Provides that the statute that permits a city to change its name does not apply to a city if the city is named in the Constitution of the State of Indiana or in the Indiana Code.
  • The FHCCI does not support this bill. 
  • Senate Local Government 1/14 hearing: You can watch the hearing here. Go to Jan 14 in the dropdown and it’s the first bill on the video. 
  • Senate Local Government 1/28 hearing: Do Pass with amendment 8-0. You can watch the hearing here.  Go to Jan 28 in the dropdown and scroll ahead to 13:25 for the start of SB 130.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Passed the Senate 36-11. You can watch the floor vote here. Choose Feb 2 in the dropdown and scroll to 59:40 for the start of the debate.
  • House Local Government 3/10 hearing: You can watch the hearing here. Go to March 10 in the dropdown and scroll to ? for the start of SB 130.
  • House: Did not advance out of committee. 
  • Press:
    • State lawmakers could strip most Indiana cities of ability to change city name
    • GOP lawmakers try to wrest control over Democrat-controlled Indianapolis on everything from IndyGo to IMPD
• SB 150 (Buck): Housing matters. Eliminates the general restriction on the authority of a county, city, town, or township concerning regulation of landlord-tenant relationship matters not specifically described by state statute. This is a trailer bill to SEA 148 to take out the “Any other aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship” from SEA 148. This makes SEA 148 only slightly better. 
  • Senate Local Government: Do Pass 7-0. You can watch the hearing here. Choose Feb 11 in the dropdown and scroll to 10:15 for the start of discussion.
  • Senate Second Reading: Amendment debate – all defeated. You can watch the debate here on different amendments. Choose Feb 15 in the dropdown and scroll to 1:01:20 for the start of the discussion.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Do Pass 45-0.
  • House: Did not receive a committee hearing.
• SB 158 (Bohacek): Modifies landlord fines for ordinances violations.
  • The FHCCI does NOT support this bill as originally drafted. See our alert.
  • Senate Local Government: Do Pass with amendments 7-0. You can watch the hearing here. Choose Feb 11 in the dropdown and scroll to 50:28 for the start of discussion.
  • Senate Floor Vote: Do Pass 46-0. You can watch the floor vote here. Go to Feb 23 in the dropdown and scroll to ??? for the vote and discussion.
  • House Local Government: Do Pass 12-0. You can watch the hearing here. Choose March 31 in the dropdown and scroll to 11:00 for the start of discussion.
• SEA 148 (Doriot) 2020 – Veto Override: The FHCCI is against any attempt to override Gov. Holcomb’s veto on SEA 148 from the 2020 session. 
  • See 2020 committee and floor debate on this bill and an associated bill (SB 340) on our 2020 Public Policy Page
  • 2021 Senate Floor Vote: Senate voted to override the veto 30-17. You can watch the Senate floor debate here. Choose Feb 8 in the dropdown and scroll to 5:02 for the start of debate.
  • 2021 House Floor Vote: House voted to override the veto 67-32. You can watch the House vote here. Choose Feb 17-Part 2 in the dropdown and scroll to 4:00:00 for the floor vote.
  • 2021 Press:
    • Editorial: Holcomb got it right, so let his veto stand
    • Indiana Week in Review (skip to 15:26 to hear this discussion about the potential SEA 148 landlord bill override)
    • Potential for veto override of housing bill stirs call to action
    • GOP lawmakers try to wrest control over Democrat-controlled Indianapolis on everything from IndyGo to IMPD
    • Briggs: Indianapolis might not escape fed-up Republican lawmakers this time
    • FHCCI Press Release 2-5-21
    • Indiana Senate overrides veto on Indianapolis landlord-tenant bill
    • Indiana Senate votes to override Holcomb’s veto of landlord-tenant bill
    • Senate Votes to Override Veto, Block Tenant Rights Measure
    • Indiana Senate overrides governor veto on landlord-tenant bill
    • Senate votes to override on tenant bill
    • Senators override governor’s veto to speed evictions, eliminate local rental regulations
    • Senate Votes To Override Holcomb’s Veto Of Tenant-Landlord Legislation
    • Senate puts local renter protections back on chopping block
    • Legislature overrides Holcomb veto of housing measure
    • Senate votes to overturn Holcomb’s veto of bill to block cities from regulating rental properties
    • Attacks on tenants’ rights intensify in Indianapolis, activists resist
    • Indiana Senate votes to override Holcomb’s veto on controversial 2020 landlord-tenant bill
    • Senate overrides Gov. Holcomb’s tenant-landlord bill veto
    • Residents speak out against Senate veto override on housing bill
    • 60 company executives sign letter urging lawmakers to resist ‘heavy-handed limits’ on Indianapolis government
    • Briggs: Joe Hogsett should become a Republican to save his agenda
    • Letter: Lawmakers should back off heavy-handed limits on locals
    • Michael Hicks: Stop restricting the growth of Indy
    • Business community criticizes lawmakers for ‘heavy handed’ bills targeting Indianapolis
    • Housing Advocates Concerned About Effects Of Tenant-Landlord Bill
    • Letter: Lawmakers need to reverse course on housing legislation
    • Indiana Week in Review (skip to 8:15 to hear this discussion about the Senate’s SEA 148 override)
    • IBJ Podcast: Why business execs are pushing back against legislative interference in Indy
    • House votes to override governor’s veto of landlord-tenant bill, allowing it to become law
    • New Indiana law enacted over governor’s veto speeds evictions, eliminates local rental regulations
    • Indiana lawmakers override 2020 veto, block cities from regulating landlord-tenant disputes
    • State legislature overrides Gov. Holcomb veto on bill blocking cities from regulating rental property
    • House overrides Gov. Holcomb’s veto of landlord-tenant bill
    • Lawmakers Override Holcomb’s Tenant/Landlord Veto
    • New Indiana law strips cities of power to regulate rental properties
    • House votes to override governor’s veto of landlord-tenant bill, allowing it to become law
    • What Indianapolis apartment, house renters need to know about Indiana landlord-tenant bill
    • Advocates, landlords have differing views of housing bill veto override
    • Tenant Rights: The Argument for Rights and Regulations
    • Viewpoint: Veto override will allow more pandemic evictions in Indiana
• The FHCCI supported the following bills which did not receive a hearing: HB 1024 (property tax relief), HB 1131 (bias crimes), HB 1209 (bias crimes), HB 1492 (notice of sales of mobile home parks), HB 1530 (housing task force and eviction tracking), SB 116 (landlord/tenant), SB 119 (sexual orientation, gender identity civil rights protections), SB 270 (various changes to landlord/tenant law), SB 282 (rental assistance fund), and SB 350 (small claims appointed counsel pilot).
• FHCCI Policy Briefs:
  • Passing a Comprehensive and Inclusive Hate Crime Law
  • Combatting Housing Displacement
• Reports/Studies of Interest:
  • State interference in local policymaking prevents people of color, women, and low-income workers from making ends meet in the South, Hunter Blair, David Cooper, Julia Wolfe, and Jaimie Worker, September 30, 2020
  • State Preemption of Local Equitable Housing Policies, Local Solutions Support Center, 2019

Bad Bills List
2022 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2021 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2020 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2019 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2018 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2017 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2016 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2015 Indiana General Assembly Summary
2014 Public Policy Summary