House panel amends SB 197 to restrict camping on public land, shortens unsafe-building penalties process

The Indiana House Judiciary Committee on April 7 advanced Senate Bill 197 after members adopted an amendment that would restrict sleeping or camping on public property and approved a separate technical amendment to the state unsafe-building law.

The committee voted 7-3 to adopt Amendment 6, offered by Representative Katie Meltzer, which directs the Family and Social Services Administration to apply for a specific Medicaid waiver for the Healthy Indiana Plan and adds a prohibition on camping or sleeping “on a public way” or in a park. Under the amendment, people on a public right-of-way would have 24 hours to move; people in parks would have 72 hours. The amendment also creates a misdemeanor pathway and a referral to problem-solving court under a described set of conditions involving offered shelter and available mental-health services.

The panel also approved Amendment 10 to the unsafe-building law, offered by Representative Milcher, which…