Indiana 2025 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0352 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 352
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 2-5-55.1.
7	7	Synopsis: Local government efficiency task force. Establishes the
8	8	local government efficiency task force (task force) to study creating a
9	9	more streamlined and cost effective local government structure. Sets
10	10	forth the membership, and requires the task force to issue a report to
11	11	the general assembly and the governor not later than November 1,
12	12	2026.
13	13	Effective: July 1, 2025.
14	14	Gaskill, Holdman
15	15	January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government.
16	16	2025 IN 352—LS 7467/DI 87 Introduced
17	17	First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
18	18	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
19	19	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
20	20	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
21	21	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
22	22	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
23	23	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
24	24	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
25	25	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
26	26	between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
27	27	SENATE BILL No. 352
28	28	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning the
29	29	general assembly.
30	30	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. IC 2-5-55.1 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
32	32	2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
33	33	3 JULY 1, 2025]:
34	34	4 Chapter 55.1. Local Government Efficiency Task Force
35	35	5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "task force" refers to the local
36	36	6 government efficiency task force established by section 2 of this
37	37	7 chapter.
38	38	8 Sec. 2. The local government efficiency task force is established
39	39	9 as a temporary task force serving the general assembly.
40	40	10 Sec. 3. (a) The task force consists of the following seventeen (17)
41	41	11 voting members:
42	42	12 (1) Six (6) members of the senate, appointed as follows:
43	43	13 (A) Four (4) members appointed by the president pro
44	44	14 tempore.
45	45	15 (B) Two (2) members appointed by the minority leader of
46	46	16 the senate.
47	47	17 (2) Six (6) members of the house of representatives, appointed
48	48	2025 IN 352—LS 7467/DI 87 2
49	49	1 as follows:
50	50	2 (A) Four (4) members appointed by the speaker.
51	51	3 (B) Two (2) members appointed by the minority leader of
52	52	4 the house of representatives.
53	53	5 (3) The state fire marshal.
54	54	6 (4) The following four (4) members appointed by the
55	55	7 governor:
56	56	8 (A) One (1) member representing counties after
57	57	9 considering the recommendation of the Association of
58	58	10 Indiana Counties.
59	59	11 (B) One (1) member representing municipalities after
60	60	12 considering the recommendation of Accelerate Indiana
61	61	13 Municipalities.
62	62	14 (C) One (1) member representing townships.
63	63	15 (D) One (1) member representing school corporations.
64	64	16 (b) Not later than July 30, 2025, the:
65	65	17 (1) chairperson of the legislative council shall select a member
66	66	18 of the task force to serve as the chairperson of the task force;
67	67	19 and
68	68	20 (2) vice chairperson of the legislative council shall select a
69	69	21 member of the task force to serve as the vice chairperson of
70	70	22 the task force.
71	71	23 The members selected under subdivisions (1) and (2) shall serve as
72	72	24 chairperson and vice chairperson, respectively, until April 30,
73	73	25 2026. Beginning May 1, 2026, the member initially appointed under
74	74	26 subdivision (2) shall instead serve as the chairperson of the task
75	75	27 force, and the member initially appointed under subdivision (1)
76	76	28 shall instead serve as the vice chairperson of the task force.
77	77	29 (c) A member of the task force serves for the duration of the
78	78	30 task force.
79	79	31 (d) If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the appointing
80	80	32 authority that appointed the member whose position is vacant shall
81	81	33 appoint an individual to fill the vacancy. An individual appointed
82	82	34 to fill a vacancy must have the qualifications that the vacating
83	83	35 member must have. An individual appointed to fill a vacancy
84	84	36 serves for the remainder of the task force's duration.
85	85	37 (e) Appointments to the task force under this section must be
86	86	38 made not later than July 30, 2025.
87	87	39 Sec. 4. (a) Nine (9) members of the task force constitute a
88	88	40 quorum.
89	89	41 (b) The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the members at
90	90	42 a meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary for the task
91	91	2025 IN 352—LS 7467/DI 87 3
92	92	1 force to take action on any measure, including final reports, other
93	93	2 than to meet and take testimony.
94	94	3 (c) The task force shall meet at the call of the chairperson.
95	95	4 Sec. 5. All meetings of the task force shall be open to the public
96	96	5 in accordance with and subject to IC 5-14-1.5. All records of the
97	97	6 task force shall be subject to the requirements of IC 5-14-3.
98	98	7 Sec. 6. The task force shall study ways of creating a more
99	99	8 streamlined and cost effective local government structure,
100	100	9 including the following:
101	101	10 (1) Eliminating townships, including township assessors and
102	102	11 transferring township responsibilities to the county.
103	103	12 (2) Administering the provision of fire protection and
104	104	13 emergency services countywide by the county executive or by
105	105	14 a board established to perform these duties, where services
106	106	15 would be provided in accordance with countywide standards
107	107	16 established in each county.
108	108	17 (3) Eliminating municipal health departments and
109	109	18 transferring all responsibilities to county health departments.
110	110	19 (4) Reorganizing library districts into county library districts
111	111	20 or multi-county library districts covering all areas of a
112	112	21 county.
113	113	22 (5) Reorganizing school districts to attain a minimum student
114	114	23 population in each district.
115	115	24 (6) Requiring county budget approval of taxing districts and
116	116	25 political subdivisions.
117	117	26 (7) Reviewing reorganizations accomplished under IC 36-1.5
118	118	27 (government modernization) for efficiencies and streamlining.
119	119	28 Sec. 7. The task force shall make recommendations based upon
120	120	29 the study conducted under section 6 of this chapter.
121	121	30 Sec. 8. The task force shall:
122	122	31 (1) issue a report setting forth the determinations and
123	123	32 recommendations made under this chapter; and
124	124	33 (2) not later than November 1, 2026, submit the report:
125	125	34 (A) in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6 to the
126	126	35 executive director of the legislative services agency for
127	127	36 distribution to the members of the general assembly; and
128	128	37 (B) to the governor.
129	129	38 Sec. 9. The legislative services agency shall provide staff support
130	130	39 to the task force.
131	131	40 Sec. 10. (a) Each legislative member and each lay member of the
132	132	41 task force is entitled to receive the same per diem, mileage, and
133	133	42 travel allowances paid to individuals serving as legislative and lay
134	134	2025 IN 352—LS 7467/DI 87 4
135	135	1 members, respectively, on an interim study committee established
136	136	2 by the legislative council.
137	137	3 (b) A member of the task force who is a state employee is not
138	138	4 entitled to a per diem. However, the member is entitled to receive
139	139	5 the same travel allowances paid to members of the task force
140	140	6 described in subsection (a).
141	141	7 Sec. 11. The task force's expenses, including the payment of per
142	142	8 diem, mileage, and travel allowances under section 10 of this
143	143	9 chapter, are payable from amounts appropriated to the legislative
144	144	10 council.
145	145	11 Sec. 12. This chapter expires December 31, 2026.
146	146	2025 IN 352—LS 7467/DI 87