| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | Introduced Version |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE BILL No. 1506 |
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| 4 | 4 | | _____ |
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| 5 | 5 | | DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL |
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| 6 | 6 | | Citations Affected: IC 14-8-2; IC 14-19-3-6.5. |
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| 7 | 7 | | Synopsis: Natural resource entrance fees. Allows counties to adopt an |
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| 8 | 8 | | ordinance to impose a surcharge of not more than $2 in addition to the |
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| 9 | 9 | | fees charged by the department of natural resources (department) for |
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| 10 | 10 | | entry into state parks and recreation areas. Requires the department to |
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| 11 | 11 | | collect the surcharge and to report and pay the surcharge to each county |
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| 12 | 12 | | treasurer. Provides that the revenue collected is to be used for purposes |
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| 13 | 13 | | related to first responders. |
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| 14 | 14 | | Effective: July 1, 2025. |
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| 15 | 15 | | Patterson |
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| 16 | 16 | | January 21, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources. |
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| 17 | 17 | | 2025 IN 1506—LS 7619/DI 125 Introduced |
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| 18 | 18 | | First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025) |
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| 19 | 19 | | PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana |
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| 20 | 20 | | Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type, |
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| 21 | 21 | | additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional |
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| 23 | 23 | | provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the |
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| 24 | 24 | | word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds |
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| 25 | 25 | | a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts |
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| 27 | 27 | | between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. |
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| 28 | 28 | | HOUSE BILL No. 1506 |
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| 29 | 29 | | A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning |
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| 30 | 30 | | natural and cultural resources. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 SECTION 1. IC 14-8-2-87.8 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 1, 2025]: Sec. 87.8. "Fees", for purposes of IC 14-19-3-6.5, means |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4 entrance or admission fees that are paid in a county upon or after |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5 entering an Indiana state park or state recreation area located in |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6 the county. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7 SECTION 2. IC 14-8-2-91.6 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9 1, 2025]: Sec. 91.6. "First responder", for purposes of |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10 IC 14-19-3-6.5, refers to: |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11 (1) a law enforcement officer (as defined in IC 5-2-1-2(1)); |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12 (2) a firefighter, including a volunteer firefighter; or |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13 (3) an emergency medical technician, emergency medical |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14 responder, or paramedic. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15 SECTION 3. IC 14-19-3-6.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17 1, 2025]: Sec. 6.5. (a) A county fiscal body may adopt an ordinance |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2025 IN 1506—LS 7619/DI 125 2 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 1 to impose a surcharge on the fees paid in the county for entry into |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2 a state park or state recreation area located in the county. A |
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| 52 | 52 | | 3 county fiscal body that adopts an ordinance under this section shall |
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| 53 | 53 | | 4 notify the director of the department. The department shall report |
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| 54 | 54 | | 5 the surcharge collected under the ordinance on forms approved by |
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| 55 | 55 | | 6 the county treasurer. |
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| 56 | 56 | | 7 (b) The surcharge is equal to an amount of not more than two |
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| 57 | 57 | | 8 dollars ($2) in addition to any fees charged by the department for |
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| 58 | 58 | | 9 entry into the state park or state recreation area. However, the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 10 surcharge may not be imposed on: |
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| 60 | 60 | | 11 (1) a veteran (as defined in IC 10-17-13.5-3); |
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| 61 | 61 | | 12 (2) an individual serving on active duty in any branch of the |
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| 62 | 62 | | 13 armed forces; or |
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| 63 | 63 | | 14 (3) an individual who is at least sixty-five (65) years of age. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 15 (c) The department shall: |
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| 65 | 65 | | 16 (1) begin collecting the surcharge not later than sixty (60) |
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| 66 | 66 | | 17 days after receiving notice under subsection (a) of the |
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| 67 | 67 | | 18 adoption of an ordinance; and |
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| 68 | 68 | | 19 (2) pay the surcharge collected during a month to the county |
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| 69 | 69 | | 20 treasurer not later than the end of the following month. |
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| 70 | 70 | | 21 (d) The surcharge collected by the department and paid to the |
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| 71 | 71 | | 22 county treasurer must be used for purposes related to first |
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| 72 | 72 | | 23 responders in the county, including compensation and purchase |
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| 73 | 73 | | 24 and updating of equipment, in accordance with the ordinance |
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| 74 | 74 | | 25 adopted under subsection (a). |
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| 75 | 75 | | 2025 IN 1506—LS 7619/DI 125 |
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