Indiana Senate approves measures on emissions testing, CAFO inspections and gambling courier rules

The Indiana Senate on an unspecified date approved a package of concurrence motions and conference committee reports that included a plan to seek federal relief from vehicle emissions testing in northwest Indiana, a change to the timing of CAFO (confined-animal feeding operation) inspections, and new language about lottery courier services.

The measures matter because they affect local drivers in Lake and Porter counties, farm operations with manure storage permits across the state and the regulatory framework the state will use if broader lottery services are permitted. Several items passed by recorded roll call; others were adopted by voice vote.

Senator Niemeyer presented the concurrence on Senate Bill 103, describing it as "a plan how we can petition the federal government, ask them to get out of it." He said the provision removes an earlier senior-citizen exemption and pursues ending the region's required emissions testing tied to an approximately $24,000,000, four‑year contract the state currently pays through the budget. The Senate adopted the motion to concur by roll call, 49 ayes, 0 noes.

Also presented by Senator Niemeyer, a separate concurrence on a bill addressing inspections of waste and manure storage at CAFOs clarifies that an initial physical inspection takes place 45 days after a permit is issued and that a renewal inspection occurs within a 45‑day window before or after the five‑year renewal date. Niemeyer said the bill "also deal[s] with a biosecurity issue" and that if public‑health authorities or other circumstances require limiting access to a CAFO, the state will delay the scheduled inspection but will continue to respond to complaints. That motion passed on roll call, 47 ayes, 2 noes.

The Senate also approved several conference committee reports. Senator Toms presented the conference report on Senate Bill 26, saying the final text adds protections for communication service providers; Senator Taylor urged colleagues to support the measure, calling the added protections acceptable. The report passed on roll call, 48 ayes, 1 no.

Senate conference committee reports on other bills passed as well: a conference report on what the clerk read as Senate Bill 73 (addressing towing and advertising of illegal products in the house bill language) passed 49 ayes, 0 noes; a conference report that removed non‑germane language related to veterans and evictions in Senate Bill 433 passed 49 ayes, 0 noes.

A conference committee report on House Bill 1053 — presented by Senator Alting and described as incorporating the senate versions of Senate bills 94, 107 and 109 and as adding language approved by the Hoosier Lottery and the Indiana Gaming Commission — defines a "lottery courier service" and makes it a class A misdemeanor to operate such a service without Hoosier Lottery authorization. Senator Alting said the language was added "as an extra safeguard" should the General Assembly authorize lottery services in the future. That conference committee report passed by roll call, 42 ayes, 17 noes.

Earlier in the session the Senate adopted two resolutions by voice vote: Senate Resolution 70 (Senator Garde), congratulating a high‑school girls basketball team, and House Resolution 47 (Senator Buchanan), honoring James L. Stewart on his retirement from the James E. Davis School. The Senate also adopted a committee report pursuant to Senate rule 86 (clerk reading) by voice vote and approved a procedural rescission motion related to Senate Bill 287 after a motion from Senator Burn.

Votes at a glance - Motion to rescind prior action regarding Senate Bill 287; mover: Senator Burn; voice vote: adopted (vote count not specified). - Senate Resolution No. 70 (Sen. Garde); voice vote: adopted (vote count not specified). - House Resolution No. 47 (Sen. Buchanan); voice vote: adopted (vote count not specified). - Committee report pursuant to Senate Rule 86; voice vote: adopted (vote count not specified). - Senate Bill 103 (concurrence): presenter Sen. Niemeyer; roll call 49 ayes, 0 noes; outcome: approved. (Item addresses vehicle emissions testing affecting Lake and Porter counties and seeks federal relief; removes prior senior exemption.) - Senate Bill 193 (concurrence) — presented as Senate bill 93/193 by Sen. Niemeyer: roll call 47 ayes, 2 noes; outcome: approved. (Item clarifies CAFO inspection timing and biosecurity exceptions.) - Senate Bill 26 (conference committee report): presenter Sen. Toms; roll call 48 ayes, 1 no; outcome: approved. (Final text adds protections for communication service providers.) - Senate Bill 73 (conference committee report): presenter Sen. Durnell/Darnell; roll call 49 ayes, 0 noes; outcome: approved. (Includes towing/advertising language added in the House.) - Senate Bill 433 (conference committee report): presenter (Senate); roll call 49 ayes, 0 noes; outcome: approved. (Removed house language about veterans staying in eviction; committee report pulls non‑germane language.) - House Bill 1053 (conference committee report): presenter Sen. Alting; roll call 42 ayes, 17 noes; outcome: approved. (Adds definitions and a misdemeanor for unauthorized lottery courier services; incorporates senate passed versions of SB 94, SB 107 and SB 109.) - Motion to recess (Sen. Breg, president pro tem): adopted; chamber recessed until the fall of the gavel.

What lawmakers said "It's a plan how we can petition the federal government, ask them to get out of it," Sen. Niemeyer said of the SB 103 changes aimed at ending the regional emissions testing requirement. "If somebody calls and has a complaint about a CAFO that needs to be looked at, [the bill] doesn't stop any of that," Sen. Niemeyer said of the CAFO inspection timing and biosecurity proviso. "I just wanna thank my colleague for working across the aisle to get language in this bill that I think we all can live with," Sen. Taylor said during consideration of the conference report on SB 26.

Context and next steps Several of the items approved are procedural concurrence or conference committee reports that return bills to the House for final action or enrollment. The conference committee report on House Bill 1053 incorporates regulatory language requested by the Hoosier Lottery and the Indiana Gaming Commission; if the General Assembly later authorizes broader lottery services, the new misdemeanor provision would apply to unauthorized courier operations. The SB 103 concurrence instructs the state to pursue federal relief from a regional emissions program affecting Lake and Porter counties and removes a previously proposed senior exemption; the legislative text will proceed to the next steps required by senate rules and by notification to the House as recorded on the floor.

The Senate also recognized local achievements through two adopted resolutions and recessed until the fall of the gavel.