AIA Indiana Young Architects Forum (YAF) members at the statehouse.

The 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly is now in its second half and will conclude no later than April 29. The session began with over 1,250 bills, and that number has now been reduced to 340 that still have a chance to become law. Committee hearings for the remaining bills are underway, and AIA Indiana has been actively attending and testifying. See the information below for the latest Statehouse developments impacting the profession.

SB 1, property tax relief, authored by Sen. Travis Holdman (R - Markle), Sen. Chris Garten (R - Charlestown) and Sen. Scott Baldwin (R - Noblesville),is the primary bill moving this session with a focus on property tax relief. Of concern for AIA Indiana members is language in the bill that would require a school construction referendum to take place only during a general election of an even-numbered year. The bill also institutes a one-year “cooling off” period for capital project referenda, meaning, with some exceptions, schools wouldn’t be able to introduce funding questions in back-to-back years. AIA Indiana opposes this referendum language is SB 1.

SB 1 passed out of the Senate with a vote count of 37-10 on February 17. It was heard in the House Ways & Means Committee on March 5. AIA Indiana Executive Director Jason Shelley, Hon. AIA testified in opposition to the negative school construction referendum language in the bill. No vote was taken and the bill will be amended but sadly there doesn’t seem to be any movement from enough members of the committee to amend out the negative language school construction referendum language. 

If passed into law, SB 1 will have serious consequences, including:

• Increased Costs for Schools and Taxpayers: Delaying school referenda will drive up expenses for capital projects due to rising construction costs, financing rates, and material prices. Needed repairs, renovations, and safety improvements will be postponed, placing a heavier financial burden on local taxpayers while at the same time jeopardizing the health and safety of students and faculty.
• Strained Resources & Higher Competition: By limiting school referenda to general election cycles, all school corporations will be forced onto the same narrow timeline. This will create unnecessary competition for design and construction services, further inflating costs for Hoosier taxpayers.
• The Current System Works: Voters already have a say, and many referenda fail. In 2023, 40% of school referenda did not pass, and since 2010, 36% of all referenda have failed. These ballot measures often drive voter turnout, sometimes drawing more participation than races for local offices like mayor or prosecutor. There is no need to change a system that already ensures community input and fiscal responsibility.

Take Action - Contact your state representative and ask them to oppose the negative public school construction referendum language in SB 1! .

House of Representatives Phone - 317/232-9600

Email/Find Your Legislator - CLICK HERE

HB 1198, local public work projects, authored by Rep. Ethan Lawson (R - Greenfield), passed out of the House with a vote count of 88-2. As passed, the bill proposed increasing the threshold for public work projects that a local public works board may complete using its own workforce, without awarding a contract, from an estimated cost of less than $250,000 to an estimated cost of less than $500,000.

The bill also exempts certain public work on public buildings from requiring architect- or engineer-approved plans and specifications if the project is classified as routine maintenance or upkeep, or if it does not require a building permit from a city, town, or county. However, for public work on a public building exceeding $100,000, the project must follow plans and specifications approved by a licensed architect or engineer if the scope of work requires a design release.

On March 5, the bill was heard and amended in the Senate Pensions & Labor Committee. The amended version now sets the project threshold at $375,000 and includes an annual inflationary adjustment. HB 1198 passed out of the committee with a unanimous 11-0 vote and will now be debated on the Senate floor.

AIA Indiana will continue to monitor HB 1198 as it progresses through the legislative process.

HB 1001, state budget, authored by Rep. Jeff Thompson (R - Lizton), passed out of the House on February 20 along party lines with a vote count of 66-28. The two-year, $46 billion spending plan, does not include any dollars for state university capital building projects but does include funding for maintenance. The Senate will now consider and debate the proposed budget bill during this second half of the session and AIA Indiana will be following its movement.

HB 1615, Indiana military base infrastructure grant program, authored by Rep. Shane Lindauer (R - Jasper), was introduced to establish the Indiana Military Base Infrastructure Grant Program, designed to fund physical infrastructure projects on current or proposed Indiana military bases. AIA Indiana testified in favor of the bill before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety, commending its proactive approach to infrastructure investment.

The bill was significantly amended in the House and now states that if a Level 2 Certified Technology Park (CTP) has reached its deposit limit, maintains its certification, and is located within a military base enhancement area, the park shall automatically become a Level 3 park. Additionally, the bill provides that a Level 3 park may receive an additional annual incremental income tax deposit of up to $250,000.

HB 1615 passed out of the House with a unanimous vote of 92-0 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy.

HB 1223, tourism development projects, authored by Rep. Mike Karickhoff (R-Kokomo), establishes a program administered by the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) to provide incentives for tourism development infrastructure projects in the form of a sales tax rebate.

The bill passed out of the House Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform with a vote of 11-0. AIA Indiana testified in support of HB 1223, highlighting its focus on placemaking and its potential to drive broader economic development through tourism-related infrastructure. The bill was then referred to the House Ways & Means Committee but did not advance beyond that point.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact AIA Indiana Executive Director Jason Shelley, Hon. AIA, at 317-634-6993, jshelley@aiaindiana.org.