LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
200 W. Washington St., Suite 301
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-0696
iga.in.gov
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 6310 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 6, 2023
BILL NUMBER: SB 63 BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Law Enforcement Powers of Fire Investigators.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Ford J.D. BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
XDEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: This bill provides that a fire investigator appointed after June 30, 2024, who is
a member of: (1) a fire department that provides service to a first or second class city (city); or (2) a city fire
department; may exercise police powers for the city if certain requirements are satisfied, including meeting
basic training standards established by the Law Enforcement Training Board (board) and written notification
is sent from the city fire chief to the city police chief and county sheriff. (Under current law, the fire
investigator must be authorized to exercise police power by the police chief and fire chief of the first class
or second class city.) It provides that a fire investigator who exercised police powers before July 1, 2024, and
has not completed the basic training standards established by the board must complete supplemental training
and education established by the board to continue exercising police powers after June 30, 2026. It also
allows the board to adopt interim rules to establish the supplemental training and educational requirements
for fire investigators.
Effective Date: July 1, 2024.
Explanation of State Expenditures: Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy (ILEA): The bill could
increase expenditures and workload for ILEA to train additional fire investigators from cities. Depending
on the amount of fire investigators that additionally participate in training, ILEA may be able to provide the
additional training within existing resources or they may need to shift resources to accommodate the
additional fire investigators.
Law Enforcement Training Board (LETB): LETB will see an increase in workload to adopt interim rules to
establish the supplemental training and educational requirements for fire investigators by May 1, 2025. The
bill’s requirements are within the agency’s routine administrative functions and should be able to be
SB 63 1 implemented with no additional appropriations, assuming near customary agency staffing and resource levels.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures: Fire Department: Cities with fire investigators would experience an
increase in expenditures if they send additional fire investigators for training.
Fire investigators of cities may see a workload increase to the extent that they are allowed to exercise police
powers due to needing only the fire chief to notify in written form the police chief and county sheriff to
authorize police powers. However, starting in July 1, 2026, if a fire investigator who had police powers
before July 1, 2024 did not complete Tier 1 basic training, they will not be able to exercise police powers
unless they complete supplemental training as set by the LETB, potentially increasing the workload for fire
investigators.
The fire chief of a city may see a minor workload increase to notify the police chief and the county sheriff
in written form. The bill’s requirements are within the agency’s routine administrative functions and should
be able to be implemented with no additional appropriations, assuming near customary agency staffing and
resource levels.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy, Law Enforcement Training Board.
Local Agencies Affected: Fire and police departments of cities.
Information Sources:
Fiscal Analyst: Nate Bodnar, 317-234-9476.
SB 63 2