---
type: "Bill"
title: "Regulation of dams."
description: "Provides that the laws regulating dams do not apply to a structure that is a low hazard dam or significant hazard dam that meets only one of the following conditions: (1) Has a drainage area above the dam of not more than one square mile. (2) Does not exceed 20 feet in height. (3) Does not impound a volume of more than 100 acre-feet of water. Requires the department of natural resources (department) to establish a classification system for dams based on: (1) the height of the structure and the volume of water impounded by the structure; and (2) the force of the water and the likely consequences resulting from the uncontrolled release of its contents due to a failure or misoperation of the structure. Changes the standard to determine potential consequences for a failure from \"may cause\" to \"likely to cause\". Provides that for a dam constructed after June 30, 2022, if the department determines that the property owner's structure is a high hazard, significant hazard, or low hazard dam, the department shall provide the property owner with a notice stating the classification of the dam that the property owner owns. Requires that, notwithstanding an engineering inspection performed by the property owner or a consultant of the property owner, the department provide the property owner notice at least five days before performing an inspection. Requires the property owner of a high hazard dam to prepare an emergency action plan and provide a copy to the department and the emergency management agency. Provides that changes to the law do not affect past inspections."
jurisdiction: "us/states/in"
legislature: "Indiana General Assembly"
session: "2022"
identifier: "SB 269"
citation: "Indiana SB 269 (2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["DAMS AND RESERVOIRS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ethan Manning", "Jean Leising", "Stacey Donato"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 25
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2022-01-10"
last_action: "2022-03-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/01c6755e-0363-4921-82b0-227a3ebc61c2"
source_url: "http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/senate/269"
source_hash: "53d7c62c6c10687845f62468ae217bda3ac02b46ee5add50a85f72398363423c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-in"]
---

# Indiana SB 269 (2022) — Regulation of dams.

Provides that the laws regulating dams do not apply to a structure that is a low hazard dam or significant hazard dam that meets only one of the following conditions: (1) Has a drainage area above the dam of not more than one square mile. (2) Does not exceed 20 feet in height. (3) Does not impound a volume of more than 100 acre-feet of water. Requires the department of natural resources (department) to establish a classification system for dams based on: (1) the height of the structure and the volume of water impounded by the structure; and (2) the force of the water and the likely consequences resulting from the uncontrolled release of its contents due to a failure or misoperation of the structure. Changes the standard to determine potential consequences for a failure from "may cause" to "likely to cause". Provides that for a dam constructed after June 30, 2022, if the department determines that the property owner's structure is a high hazard, significant hazard, or low hazard dam, the department shall provide the property owner with a notice stating the classification of the dam that the property owner owns. Requires that, notwithstanding an engineering inspection performed by the property owner or a consultant of the property owner, the department provide the property owner notice at least five days before performing an inspection. Requires the property owner of a high hazard dam to prepare an emergency action plan and provide a copy to the department and the emergency management agency. Provides that changes to the law do not affect past inspections.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Engrossed Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.05.ENGH)
2. **Engrossed Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.03.ENGS)
3. **Enrolled Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.06.ENRH)
4. **Introduced Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.01.INTR)
5. **Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.04.COMH)
6. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://in-proxy.openstates.org/2022/bills/SB0269/versions/SB0269.02.COMS)

## Votes

- SB 269 - Donato - 3rd Reading — **39–10** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Ethan Manning — primary (person)
- Jean Leising — primary (person)
- Stacey Donato — primary (person)
- Carolyn Jackson — cosponsor (person)
- Daniel Leonard — cosponsor (person)
- James Buck — coauthor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-01-10** Authored by Senator Donato
- **2022-01-10** First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2022-01-24** Committee report: do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2022-01-31** Amendment #1 (Donato) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-failure, amendment-passage`
- **2022-01-31** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2022-01-31** Senator Leising added as second author
- **2022-02-01** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 167: yeas 39, nays 10 `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-01** House sponsor: Representative Manning
- **2022-02-01** Cosponsor: Representative Leonard
- **2022-02-01** Senator Buck added as coauthor
- **2022-02-02** Referred to the House
- **2022-02-07** First reading: referred to Committee on Natural Resources `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2022-02-14** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-17** Representative Jackson added as cosponsor
- **2022-02-21** Amendment #1 (Manning) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-failure, amendment-passage`
- **2022-02-21** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2022-02-22** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 238: yeas 91, nays 1 `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-23** Returned to the Senate with amendments `amendment-failure`
- **2022-02-24** Motion to concur filed
- **2022-03-02** Senate concurred in House amendments; Roll Call 322: yeas 41, nays 5 `amendment-failure`
- **2022-03-07** Signed by the President Pro Tempore
- **2022-03-08** Signed by the Speaker
- **2022-03-15** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-03-15** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2022-03-15** Public Law 129

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/01c6755e-0363-4921-82b0-227a3ebc61c2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).