Braun signs ten bills into law
Gov. Mike Braun signs a pair of executive orders dealing with unemployment insurance in his Statehouse office on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Gov. Mike Braun signed ten bills — technically enrolled acts — into law on Tuesday, including a contentious parental rights proposal and one adding requirements for developers of long-haul water pipelines.
Bills become enrolled acts after passing through both chambers. All ten bills were due for governor action by Tuesday.
Under Senate Enrolled Act 4, developers of long-haul water pipelines — defined as structures over 30 miles in length transporting more than 10 million gallons a day — must get the sign-off from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and seek certificates of public convenience and necessity.
College IDs for voting, parental rights, transgender athletes: These Indiana bills are on the move
It also includes strict permitting requirements for transferring water from one water basin to another. Braun's signature comes on the heels of his Monday executive order to develop a statewide water inventory and management plan.
Another measure, Senate Enrolled Act 143, would require courts to give deference to parental rights in disputes with government regulators. Opponents called the proposal too broad in committee while some supporters said it didn't go far enough.
Of the ten bills signed Tuesday, only two are effective immediately. House Bill 1633 would direct the Indiana Secretary of State to study the scheduling of local elections and whether the state should require all counties to use vote centers.
Another, Senate Enrolled Act 119, prohibits submitting applications for a certificate of public advantage after May 13, 2025, part of an ongoing effort to reduce hospital mergers.
Just one measure signed Tuesday would be retroactive: Senate Enrolled Act 462, which would define practitioners as it relates to behavior analysts.
All other proposals would be effective on July 1, 2025, when the state's next fiscal year starts.
Other bills signed Tuesday include:
Senate Enrolled Act 491 allows for the annexation of noncontiguous property in Madison County into the city of Alexandria for an industrial park.
House Enrolled Act 1126 changes the membership of the Maumee River Basin Commission and dictates pertinent actions surrounding flood plains.
House Enrolled Act 1376 amends the definition of emergency medication in regards to opioid overdose reversal medications.
House Enrolled Act 1478 removes a sunset provision for pro bono legal services fees.
House Enrolled Act 1595 requires the secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration to reapply for a Medicaid state plan amendment to establish a new long-term care partnership program.
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