Indiana 2023 Regular Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 4 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 1639 — Watershed development commissions.

Last action — Public Law 251

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 19, 2023. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 6 sponsors

    2 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (4 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Provides that the executives of one or more counties may adopt ordinances designating their counties as members of a proposed watershed development commission and that the proposed watershed development commission is established as a legal entity with the counties as its members if it is recognized by the natural resources commission. Allows a watershed development commission to be established for certain flood damage reduction, drainage, storm water management, recreation, and water infrastructure purposes, but provides that "water infrastructure purposes" excludes any drinking water project in a county or municipality. Requires the natural resources commission, in deciding whether to recognize a proposed watershed development commission, to answer certain questions. Provides that a nonmember county may become a member of an established watershed development commission if its membership is accepted by the member counties and recognized by the natural resources commission. Requires the department of natural resources (department), with the approval of the natural resources commission, to certify the area of a member county that is within a watershed development commission's designated watershed. Provides that a watershed development commission may also have water quality purposes if its board develops a water quality improvement plan that is approved by the natural resources commission. Specifies that a water quality purpose, goal, project, or interstate agreement does not convey water quality regulatory authority to a watershed development commission. Provides for a watershed development commission to be governed by a board that includes: (1) the director of the department or the director's designee; (2) the county surveyor of each county that is a member of the commission and is entitled to membership on the board; (3) an individual other than the county surveyor representing each county that is a member of the commission and is entitled to membership on the board; and (4) either: (A) one individual appointed to represent each second class city that is located in a participating county and within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission; or (B) if a participating county does not include a second class city that is located within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission, one individual appointed to represent the municipality that has the largest population of all municipalities that are located in the participating county and within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission. Requires a watershed development commission to develop a flood damage reduction and drainage plan for its designated watershed. Grants a watershed development commission exclusive authority to perform drainage and flood damage reduction activities within the channel of the river that is the surface water outlet of its designated watershed. Authorizes a watershed development commission to enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement with an existing local governmental authority to apportion flood damage reduction authority and financial support between the two entities. Provides for the funding of a watershed development commission through an annual special assessment that may be imposed against each taxable parcel of real property located: (1) in a member county; and (2) within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission. Establishes maximum assessment levels and allows the board of a watershed development commission to reduce the special assessment to lower levels. Authorizes a member county to adopt any of three alternative methods of funding the watershed development commission. Prohibits the use of money collected from a special assessment for highway bridge repairs or reconstruction. Authorizes a watershed development commission to give preference to an Indiana business over an out-of-state business in contracting for public works. Establishes a procedure under which the Maumee River basin commission, the St. Joseph River basin commission, or the Upper Wabash River basin commission may be transformed into a watershed development commission. Provides that if the St. Joseph River basin commission is transformed into a watershed development commission, the members of the St. Joseph River basin commission become the first members of the St. Joseph River watershed development commission's advisory committee.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read HB 1639 on the official Indiana source →

Action History

  1. Public Law 251

  2. Signed by the Governor

  3. Signed by the Speaker

  4. Signed by the President Pro Tempore

  5. Signed by the President of the Senate

  6. Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 514: yeas 44, nays 5

  7. Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 528: yeas 95, nays 0

  8. CCR # 1 filed in the Senate

  9. CCR # 1 filed in the House

  10. Senate advisors appointed: Alexander and Qaddoura

  11. Senate conferees appointed: Glick and Breaux

  12. House advisors appointed: Ledbetter, Abbott and Boy

  13. House conferees appointed: Aylesworth and Hamilton

  14. House dissented from Senate amendments

  15. Motion to dissent filed

  16. Returned to the House with amendments

  17. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 427: yeas 47, nays 1

  18. Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  19. Amendment #4 (Glick) prevailed; voice vote

  20. Amendment #2 (Glick) prevailed; voice vote

  21. Amendment #1 (Glick) prevailed; voice vote

  22. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  23. Senator Breaux added as cosponsor

  24. Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy

  25. First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources

  26. Referred to the Senate

  27. Senate sponsor: Senator Glick

  28. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 158: yeas 97, nays 0

  29. Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

  30. Amendment #1 (Dvorak) prevailed; voice vote

  31. Committee report: do pass, adopted

  32. Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 127

  33. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  34. First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources

  35. Authored by Representative Aylesworth

  36. Coauthored by Representatives Ledbetter, Hamilton, Abbott

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 144 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (144)

144 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 144 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

HB 1639 - Glick - 3rd Reading

Passed 47 Yea · 1 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 30102
Unaffiliated 9000
Democrat 8000
Total 47102
% of votes cast 94%2%0%4%
How each member voted (50)
Member Party Vote
Crane — Yea
Johnson — Yea
Sandlin — Yea
Melton — Yea
Breaux — Yea
Messmer — Yea
Perfect — Yea
Zay — Yea
Ford Jon — Yea
Andrea Hunley Democrat Yea
David Niezgodski Democrat Yea
Fady Qaddoura Democrat Yea
Greg Taylor Democrat Yea
J.D. Ford Democrat Yea
Lonnie Randolph Democrat Yea
Rodney Pol Democrat Yea
Shelli Yoder Democrat Yea
Aaron Freeman Republican Not Voting
Blake Doriot Republican Yea
Brian Buchanan Republican Yea
Chris Garten Republican Yea
Dan Dernulc Republican Yea
Ed Charbonneau Republican Yea
Eric Bassler Republican Not Voting
Eric Koch Republican Yea
Gary Byrne Republican Yea
Greg Walker Republican Yea
James Buck Republican Yea
James Tomes Republican Yea
Jean Leising Republican Yea
Jeff Raatz Republican Yea
Justin Busch Republican Yea
Kyle Walker Republican Yea
Linda Rogers Republican Yea
Liz Brown Republican Yea
Michael Crider Republican Yea
Michael Young Republican Yea
Mike Bohacek Republican Yea
Mike Gaskill Republican Yea
Rick Niemeyer Republican Yea
Rodric Bray Republican Yea
Ron Alting Republican Yea
Ryan Mishler Republican Yea
Scott Alexander Republican Yea
Scott Baldwin Republican Nay
Spencer Deery Republican Yea
Stacey Donato Republican Yea
Susan Glick Republican Yea
Travis Holdman Republican Yea
Vaneta Becker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety environment
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 1639 do?
Provides that the executives of one or more counties may adopt ordinances designating their counties as members of a proposed watershed development commission and that the proposed watershed development commission is established as a legal entity with the counties as its members if it is recognized by the natural resources commission. Allows a watershed development commission to be established for certain flood damage reduction, drainage, storm water management, recreation, and water infrastructure purposes, but provides that "water infrastructure purposes" excludes any drinking water project in a county or municipality. Requires the natural resources commission, in deciding whether to recognize a proposed watershed development commission, to answer certain questions. Provides that a nonmember county may become a member of an established watershed development commission if its membership is accepted by the member counties and recognized by the natural resources commission. Requires the department of natural resources (department), with the approval of the natural resources commission, to certify the area of a member county that is within a watershed development commission's designated watershed. Provides that a watershed development commission may also have water quality purposes if its board develops a water quality improvement plan that is approved by the natural resources commission. Specifies that a water quality purpose, goal, project, or interstate agreement does not convey water quality regulatory authority to a watershed development commission. Provides for a watershed development commission to be governed by a board that includes: (1) the director of the department or the director's designee; (2) the county surveyor of each county that is a member of the commission and is entitled to membership on the board; (3) an individual other than the county surveyor representing each county that is a member of the commission and is entitled to membership on the board; and (4) either: (A) one individual appointed to represent each second class city that is located in a participating county and within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission; or (B) if a participating county does not include a second class city that is located within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission, one individual appointed to represent the municipality that has the largest population of all municipalities that are located in the participating county and within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission. Requires a watershed development commission to develop a flood damage reduction and drainage plan for its designated watershed. Grants a watershed development commission exclusive authority to perform drainage and flood damage reduction activities within the channel of the river that is the surface water outlet of its designated watershed. Authorizes a watershed development commission to enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement with an existing local governmental authority to apportion flood damage reduction authority and financial support between the two entities. Provides for the funding of a watershed development commission through an annual special assessment that may be imposed against each taxable parcel of real property located: (1) in a member county; and (2) within the designated watershed of the watershed development commission. Establishes maximum assessment levels and allows the board of a watershed development commission to reduce the special assessment to lower levels. Authorizes a member county to adopt any of three alternative methods of funding the watershed development commission. Prohibits the use of money collected from a special assessment for highway bridge repairs or reconstruction. Authorizes a watershed development commission to give preference to an Indiana business over an out-of-state business in contracting for public works. Establishes a procedure under which the Maumee River basin commission, the St. Joseph River basin commission, or the Upper Wabash River basin commission may be transformed into a watershed development commission. Provides that if the St. Joseph River basin commission is transformed into a watershed development commission, the members of the St. Joseph River basin commission become the first members of the St. Joseph River watershed development commission's advisory committee.
Who sponsors HB 1639?
HB 1639 is sponsored by Jean Breaux, Susan Glick (Republican), David Abbott (Republican), Carey Hamilton (Democrat), Cindy Ledbetter (Republican), and Mike Aylesworth (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 1639?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 19, 2023. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 1639?
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