Committee narrows and hears extensive testimony on street‑camping prohibition; bill held for more work

Representative Davis offered an amendment that narrowed House Bill 1662 to focus on a prohibition of street camping on state or political‑subdivision land. Under the amended language the committee considered, officers would issue a warning on a first encounter and offer to transport a person to a location authorized to provide services or shelter; a second knowing violation, if 24 hours have elapsed since the warning, would be a Class C misdemeanor unless no shelter or services are available within five miles.

The committee heard testimony from more than 20 witnesses in a two‑hour public hearing. Providers and service organizations urged the committee to reject criminalization, warning it would increase fiscal costs and create barriers to housing, while emphasizing evidence‑based alternatives: supportive housing, diversion programs, outreach and better coordination among agencies.

Representative comments and legal language

The author said the narrowed bill was intended to give law enforcement clearer authority to address encampments and public camping while including a safety valve: an affirmative defense if no shelter/services exist within five miles. The bill also permits a civil action against a political subdivision by a resident, business owner or the attorney general if the political subdivision fails to enforce the prohibition. The attorney general may recover reasonable expenses from such civil actions.

What witnesses said

- Lori Phillips Steel, director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing in Indiana, testified the state has reduced overall homelessness and that the bill ‘will burden individuals with fines and arrest records and significantly burden taxpayers,’ urging a focus on services such as Medicaid amendments, bridge funding and supportive housing.

- Gray Lassain, senior pastor at Christ Church Cathedral, described church support for people sleeping outside and opposed criminalization, saying it would saddle people with records and court debt that make housing harder to secure.

- Providers including Horizon House, Prosperity Indiana, Indiana United Ways and the Marion County Reentry Coalition urged investment in housing, street outreach and diversion rather than fines or arrests. Marion County Reentry Coalition noted that a Class C misdemeanor can add incarceration risk and creates obstacles to employment and housing.

- Some witnesses who work directly with unsheltered people described most unsheltered individuals as having high needs (mental illness, substance use, prior incarceration) and warned that removing encampments without alternatives can create cycles of criminal justice involvement and increased costs for emergency services.

Why it matters: The bill intersects criminal law, local discretion and homelessness policy. Supporters said it restores order and protects property and public safety; opponents said it criminalizes poverty and diverts resources away from proven housing solutions.

Committee action: The author’s amendment was adopted and the bill was discussed at length, but the chair announced he would hold the bill and not move it forward that day to allow for more time and additional input. The committee set a two‑minute time limit per witness to accommodate the large number of speakers.

Provenance (excerpted evidence from the transcript): - topicintro: “I’d like to propose amendment number 1 to House Bill 16 62. It removes all of these sections… leaves section 4: Prohibition of Street Camping.” - topfinish: “It’s not gonna move today. We appreciate everyone’s… input today. We stand adjourned.”