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 6597 NOTE PREPARED: Dec 21, 2023
BILL NUMBER: SB 170 BILL AMENDED:
SUBJECT: Various Elections Matters.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Walker G BILL STATUS: As Introduced
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
XDEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: Level 6 Felony– The bill defines "election worker" and makes it a Level 6 felony
to take certain actions: (1) for the purpose of influencing an election worker; (2) to obstruct or interfere with
an election worker; or (3) that injure an election worker.
Exception– The bill provides an exception to the requirement that certain electronic voting systems include
a voter verifiable paper audit trail if the voting system is being used to cast an absentee ballot with the
absentee voter board.
Effective Date: Upon passage.
Explanation of State Expenditures: Level 6 Felony– A Level 6 felony is punishable by a prison term
ranging from 6 to 30 months, with an advisory sentence of 1 year. The sentence depends on mitigating and
aggravating circumstances. Assuming offenders can be housed in existing facilities with no additional staff,
the marginal cost for medical care, food, and clothing is approximately $4,456 annually, or $12.21 daily, per
prisoner. However, any additional expenditures are likely to be small.
Explanation of State Revenues: Level 6 Felony– If additional court cases occur and fines are collected,
revenue to both the Common School Fund (from criminal fines) and the state General Fund (from court fees)
would increase. The maximum fine for a Level 6 felony is $10,000. The total fee revenue per case would
range between $113 and $135. The amount of court fees deposited will vary depending on whether the case
is filed in a court of record or a municipal court. The following linked document describes the fees and
distribution of the revenue: Court fees imposed in criminal, juvenile, and civil violation cases.
SB 170 1 Explanation of Local Expenditures: Level 6 Felony– If more defendants are detained in county jails prior
to their court hearings, local expenditures for jail operations may increase. However, any additional
expenditures would likely be small.
Exception– This provision may give counties a limited savings on purchasing further voter verification
printers on voting systems used only for absentee ballot tabulation.
Explanation of Local Revenues: Level 6 Felony– If additional court actions occur and a guilty verdict is
entered, more revenue will be collected by certain local units. If the case is filed in a court of record, the
county general fund will receive $47.40 and qualifying municipalities will receive a share of $3.60. If the
case is filed in a municipal court, the county receives $30, and the municipality will receive $46. The
following linked document describes the fees and distribution of the revenue: Court fees imposed in
criminal, juvenile, and civil violation cases.
State Agencies Affected: Department of Correction.
Local Agencies Affected: Trial courts, local law enforcement agencies, county election boards.
Information Sources: Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual; Department of Correction.
Fiscal Analyst: Chris Baker, 317-232-9851.
SB 170 2