Introduced Version HOUSE BILL No. 1331 _____ DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL Citations Affected: IC 8-25-6. Synopsis: Plainfield participation in public transit project. Allows the town of Plainfield to be a part of central Indiana transportation projects without Hendricks County participating. Provides that if a resolution is adopted, the amount of the certified distribution attributable to the additional tax rate imposed must be: (1) received by the county auditor; (2) distributed to the town of Plainfield for deposit into a separate fund titled the town of Plainfield public transportation fund; and (3) used for certain purposes instead of as a property tax replacement distribution. Makes conforming changes. Effective: July 1, 2023. May January 12, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Roads and Transportation. 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134 Introduced First Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2023) PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type, additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type. Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution. Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts between statutes enacted by the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly. HOUSE BILL No. 1331 A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning transportation. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: 1 SECTION 1. IC 8-25-6-2, AS AMENDED BY P.L.247-2017, 2 SECTION 30, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 3 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 2. (a) This subsection does not apply to townships 4 located in Hendricks County. If: 5 (1) the fiscal body of the county in which a township is located 6 does not adopt an ordinance under IC 8-25-2-1; and 7 (2) the township is adjacent to: 8 (A) an eligible county in which: 9 (i) a public transportation project has been approved under 10 IC 8-25-2; or 11 (ii) an ordinance described in IC 8-25-2 has been adopted; 12 or 13 (B) another township in which: 14 (i) a public transportation project has been approved under 15 this chapter; or 16 (ii) a resolution described in this section has already been 17 passed; 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134 2 1 the fiscal body of the township may pass a resolution to place on the 2 ballot a local public question on whether the fiscal body of the eligible 3 county should be required to fund and carry out a public transportation 4 project in the township. 5 (b) This subsection applies to Guilford Township in Hendricks 6 County. the town of Plainfield. The township town fiscal body may 7 pass a resolution to place on the ballot a local public question on 8 whether the township town fiscal body should be required to fund and 9 carry out a public transportation project in the township. town. 10 (c) The fiscal body of the township or town shall include in the 11 resolution passed under subsection (a) or (b): 12 (1) a description of the public transportation services that will be 13 provided in the township or town through the proposed public 14 transportation project; and 15 (2) an estimate of each tax necessary to annually fund the public 16 transportation project in the township or town. 17 SECTION 2. IC 8-25-6-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.197-2016, 18 SECTION 96, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 19 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 3. If the fiscal body of a township or town adopts 20 a resolution under section 2 of this chapter, the township trustee or 21 town clerk-treasurer shall certify a copy of the resolution to the 22 department of local government finance, including the language for the 23 question required by IC 8-25-2-3. The township trustee or town 24 clerk-treasurer may modify the proposed local question as necessary 25 to indicate that the local question concerns a public transportation 26 project for the township or town. The department shall review the 27 language for compliance with section 4 of this chapter, whichever is 28 applicable to the eligible county, while taking into account any 29 necessary modifications for the township or town. The department of 30 local government finance may approve or reject the language. The 31 department shall send its decision to the township trustee or town 32 clerk-treasurer and the fiscal body of the township or town not more 33 than ten (10) days after the resolution is submitted to the department. 34 If the language is approved, the township trustee or town 35 clerk-treasurer shall certify a copy of the resolution, including the 36 language for the question and the department's approval, to the county 37 election board of the eligible county. 38 SECTION 3. IC 8-25-6-4, AS AMENDED BY P.L.197-2016, 39 SECTION 97, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 40 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 4. If the county election board of an eligible 41 county receives from a township trustee or town clerk-treasurer a 42 certified copy of the resolution adopted under section 2 of this chapter 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134 3 1 and the approved language for the local public question, the county 2 election board shall place the following question on the election ballot 3 in accordance with IC 3-10-9: 4 "Shall _________ County impose a local income tax rate, not to 5 exceed a rate of _________ (insert recommended rate included in 6 the ordinance authorizing the local public question), on the local 7 taxpayers residing in ______________ Township to pay for 8 improving or establishing public transportation service in 9 ___________ Township through a public transportation project 10 that _____________ (insert the description of the public 11 transportation project set forth in the township or town resolution 12 authorizing the local public question)?". 13 SECTION 4. IC 8-25-6-5, AS ADDED BY P.L.153-2014, 14 SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 15 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 5. If a township trustee or town clerk-treasurer 16 certifies a resolution under section 3 of this chapter, the county election 17 board shall place the local public question on the ballot at the next 18 general election for which the question may be certified under 19 IC 3-10-9-3 and for which all voters of the township or town are 20 entitled to vote. 21 SECTION 5. IC 8-25-6-6, AS ADDED BY P.L.153-2014, 22 SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 23 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 6. After an election on the local public question, 24 the circuit court clerk of the eligible county in which the township or 25 town is located shall: 26 (1) make a certified copy of the election returns; and 27 (2) not later than five (5) days after the election, file the copy 28 with: 29 (A) the department of state revenue; 30 (B) the fiscal body of the county; and 31 (C) the fiscal body of the township or town. 32 SECTION 6. IC 8-25-6-7, AS ADDED BY P.L.153-2014, 33 SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 34 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 7. The local public question is approved by a 35 township or town if a majority of the township voters or town voters 36 voting on the local public question vote "yes". The local public 37 question is defeated by a township or town if a majority of the 38 township voters or town voters voting on the local public question 39 vote "no". 40 SECTION 7. IC 8-25-6-8, AS AMENDED BY P.L.203-2016, 41 SECTION 22, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 42 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 8. If the local public question is defeated in a 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134 4 1 township or town, the fiscal body of the township or town may adopt 2 a resolution under section 2 of this chapter to place another local public 3 question on the ballot as provided in this chapter at a subsequent 4 general election in the township or town. However, a local public 5 question may not be placed on the ballot in the township or town under 6 this chapter more than two (2) times in any seven (7) year period. 7 SECTION 8. IC 8-25-6-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.247-2017, 8 SECTION 31, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 9 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 10. (a) If the voters of a township described in 10 section 2(a)(2)(A)(i) or 2(a)(2)(B)(i) of this chapter approve a local 11 public question under this chapter, the fiscal body of the eligible county 12 in which the township is located shall adopt an ordinance under 13 IC 6-3.6-6 to impose an additional local income tax rate, as permitted 14 by IC 6-3.6-7-27, upon the local taxpayers residing in the township for 15 the public transportation project in the township. 16 (b) This subsection applies if the voters of a township described in 17 section 2(a)(2)(A)(ii) or 2(a)(2)(B)(ii) of this chapter approve a local 18 public question under this chapter and the voters in: 19 (1) the eligible county described in section 2(a)(2)(A) of this 20 chapter approve a local public question under IC 8-25-2; or 21 (2) the township described in section 2(a)(2)(B) of this chapter 22 approve a local public question under this chapter. 23 The fiscal body of the eligible county in which the township is located 24 shall adopt an ordinance under IC 6-3.6-6 to impose an additional local 25 income tax rate, as permitted by IC 6-3.6-7-27, upon the local 26 taxpayers residing in the township for the public transportation project 27 in the township. 28 (c) This subsection applies to Guilford Township in Hendricks 29 County. the town of Plainfield. If the voters of the township town 30 approve a local public question under this chapter, the township town 31 fiscal body shall adopt a resolution to impose an additional local 32 income tax rate upon the local taxpayers residing in the township town 33 for the public transportation project in the township. town. A resolution 34 adopted under this subsection must comply with the requirements of 35 the department of local government finance and specify an additional 36 tax rate to be imposed in the township town of at least one-tenth 37 percent (0.1%), but not more than twenty-five hundredths percent 38 (0.25%). If a resolution is adopted under this subsection, the amount of 39 the certified distribution attributable to the additional tax rate imposed 40 under this subsection must be: 41 (1) retained received by the county auditor; 42 (2) deposited in the county public transportation project fund 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134 5 1 established under IC 8-25-3-7; distributed to the town of 2 Plainfield for deposit into a separate fund titled the town of 3 Plainfield public transportation fund; and 4 (3) used for the purpose provided in this subsection instead of as 5 a property tax replacement distribution. 6 The tax rate under this subsection plus the tax rate under IC 6-3.6-6 7 may not exceed the tax rate specified in IC 6-3.6-6-2. Notwithstanding 8 IC 6-3.6-7-27, the Hendricks County fiscal body is not required under 9 this section to adopt an ordinance under IC 6-3.6-7-27. 10 SECTION 9. IC 8-25-6-12, AS AMENDED BY P.L.197-2016, 11 SECTION 100, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS 12 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 12. A tax rate imposed under this 13 chapter applies only to the local taxpayers who reside in a township or 14 town in which the voters approve a local public question held under 15 this chapter. 16 SECTION 10. IC 8-25-6-13, AS ADDED BY P.L.153-2014, 17 SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 18 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 13. IC 8-25-3-6 applies to a public transportation 19 project authorized under this chapter in a township or town. 20 SECTION 11. IC 8-25-6-14, AS AMENDED BY P.L.197-2016, 21 SECTION 101, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS 22 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 14. Bonds issued with respect to a 23 public transportation project in the township or town must be paid 24 from tax revenue collected from local taxpayers who reside in the 25 township or town. 26 SECTION 12. IC 8-25-6-15, AS ADDED BY P.L.153-2014, 27 SECTION 17, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE 28 JULY 1, 2023]: Sec. 15. IC 36-9-2-2(b) and IC 36-9-2-2(c) apply to a 29 public transportation project authorized under this chapter in a 30 township or town. 2023 IN 1331—LS 6561/DI 134