Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Owning property is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans, which is why Senate Republicans supported two new laws this year to ease some burdens for Hoosier landowners.
Senate Enrolled Act 140 allows property owners to remove logs that are crossways in a stream or river on their property without a permit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under certain conditions.
It also requires the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to oversee and take actions necessary to prepare and publish an updated version of the Indiana Drainage Handbook.
This law aims to ease property owners' concerns regarding too much government oversight on land maintenance, and provide Hoosier property owners with an accurate overview of how they can handle drainage issues on their land, since these issues can be expensive and time consuming.
House Enrolled Act 1401 requires the DNR to notify property owners within 90 days after determining whether their property is included in a floodplain or floodway. The notification must take place before the state can submit the information to the federal government. The law then gives the property owner 90 days to request the DNR review its determination.
This is important because if a property is determined to be in a floodplain or floodway, it can cause restrictions on what property owners can do with their property, reduce the property's value and potentially require the owner to purchase federal flood insurance. HEA 1401 allows property owners to be more involved this process and gives them more protection over their land.
By passing these laws, Hoosier property owners now have more rights and stronger protections over their land, as well as more transparency into state drainage processes and regulations.
SEA 140 and HEA 1401 went into effect July 1. To learn more, visit iga.in.gov.
