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Committee advances drainage/plat bill requiring nearest NOAA/FEMA data and timelier reviews, 8-0
Summary
House Bill 14-60, which would require use of the most current and geographically closest NOAA rainfall data and FEMA 100-year floodplain maps for plat and drainage reviews and sets review timelines that can result in automatic approval after 60 days, passed the committee 8-0.
The Senate Local Government Committee unanimously approved House Bill 14-60, a measure that directs local planning bodies to use the most current and nearest NOAA rainfall data and FEMA 100‑year floodplain maps when evaluating plats and drainage designs, and that sets specific timelines for staff responses and planning‑commission action.
Representative Pressell, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure has three main components: require use of the nearest and most current NOAA rainfall data when designing stormwater systems; require use of FEMA 100‑year floodplain maps as the baseline for flood elevations; and set procedural timelines — a staff checklist response within a short period after application, a meeting with financially interested parties within 30 days of a completed application, and automatic approval if a planning commission fails to act within 60 days.
Senator Yoder questioned whether restricting the data sources might limit local officials’ ability to factor multiple technical tools into engineering decisions, noting that some communities already use additional or more conservative flood studies and that severe flooding patterns have changed over recent years. Representative Pressell and supporters said the bill’s intent is to create consistency and ensure engineers use data closest to the project site rather than gauges located far from the development.
Industry witnesses supported the bill. Rick Watts of the Indiana Home Builders Association said the bill would prevent over‑engineering based on distant rain gauges and speed project reviews by standardizing which data are used. Representative Pressell said the bill’s timelines are intended to accelerate ministerial plat reviews and reduce delays caused by missed meetings or inconsistent local requirements.
Committee members said they appreciated the balance between statewide consistency and allowing local engineering judgment; the committee adopted a technical amendment narrowing the scope of the NOAA‑gauge requirement and then voted 8-0 to advance the bill.
