republic-os/legislation/us/states/in/2026/sb-270.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Township mergers.	Requires the department of local government finance (department) not later than December 31, 2026, to compile data on each township (excluding townships in Marion County) and assign points based upon the township government's performance. Requires a township government that is assigned at least four points (designated township), with certain exceptions, to: (1) merge; or (2) for a township in which (A) at least 80% of the township's boundaries coincide with a municipality's boundaries; and (B) at least 51% of the township's population resides within the corporate boundaries of a municipality, reorganize with the municipality. Requires a merger to satisfy the following requirements: (1) A designated township must merge with at least one township that has less than four points (recipient township). (2) The merger must satisfy contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that if all townships in a county have at least four points, the county executive must designate two townships to act as the recipient townships. Requires the county executive to designate which townships will merge taking into consideration: (1) the wishes of the designated townships and recipient townships; and (2) the contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that all mergers in a county are effective not later than January 1, 2029. Establishes provisions for an interim township government for the new merged township government until a new township trustee and township legislative body are elected during the 2030 general election.	us/states/in	Indiana General Assembly	2026	SB 270	Indiana SB 270 (2026)	bill	AGENCIES; Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS; Generally TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNSHIP OFFICERS	enacted	Greg Walker Harold Slager James Buck Rick Niemeyer	5	29	3	2026-01-08	2026-03-05	openstates	ocd-bill/eda1fd06-356c-46f7-8d19-4d1b2816369e	https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/sb0270	4cdf5fac119c46333d28079418e343139146bea2365e11c25264cac97d9135c7	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-in

Indiana SB 270 (2026) — Township mergers.

Requires the department of local government finance (department) not later than December 31, 2026, to compile data on each township (excluding townships in Marion County) and assign points based upon the township government's performance. Requires a township government that is assigned at least four points (designated township), with certain exceptions, to: (1) merge; or (2) for a township in which (A) at least 80% of the township's boundaries coincide with a municipality's boundaries; and (B) at least 51% of the township's population resides within the corporate boundaries of a municipality, reorganize with the municipality. Requires a merger to satisfy the following requirements: (1) A designated township must merge with at least one township that has less than four points (recipient township). (2) The merger must satisfy contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that if all townships in a county have at least four points, the county executive must designate two townships to act as the recipient townships. Requires the county executive to designate which townships will merge taking into consideration: (1) the wishes of the designated townships and recipient townships; and (2) the contiguity requirements under the township merger law. Provides that all mergers in a county are effective not later than January 1, 2029. Establishes provisions for an interim township government for the new merged township government until a new township trustee and township legislative body are elected during the 2030 general election.

Version chain

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

1. Engrossed Senate Bill (S) (committee substitute) — source
2. Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (committee substitute) — source
3. Introduced Senate Bill (S) (committee substitute) — source
4. Senate Bill (H) (committee substitute) — source
5. Senate Bill (S) (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• SB 270 - Slager - 3rd Reading — 62–35 (pass) · lower
• SB 270 - Niemeyer - 3rd Reading — 39–9 (pass) · upper
• SB 270 - Niemeyer — 34–15 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Greg Walker — primary (person)
• Harold Slager — primary (person)
• James Buck — primary (person)
• Rick Niemeyer — primary (person)
• Alaina Shonkwiler — cosponsor (person)
• Timothy Wesco — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-08 First reading: referred to Committee on Local Government reading-1, referral-committee
• 2026-01-08 Authored by Senator Niemeyer
• 2026-01-14 Senator Walker G added as second author
• 2026-01-15 Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy committee-passage, referral-committee
• 2026-01-20 Committee report: do pass, adopted committee-passage
• 2026-01-22 Second reading: ordered engrossed reading-2
• 2026-01-26 Senator Walker G removed as second author
• 2026-01-26 Senator Buck added as second author
• 2026-01-26 Senator Walker G added as third author
• 2026-01-28 Third reading: passed; Roll Call 128: yeas 39, nays 9 passage, reading-3, reading-3
• 2026-01-28 House sponsor: Representative Slager
• 2026-01-29 Referred to the House referral
• 2026-02-02 First reading: referred to Committee on Local Government reading-1, referral-committee
• 2026-02-17 Recommitted to Committee on Ways and Means pursuant to House Rule 126.3
• 2026-02-17 Committee report: amend do pass, adopted committee-passage
• 2026-02-18 Representative Shonkwiler added as cosponsor
• 2026-02-18 Committee report: amend do pass, adopted committee-passage
• 2026-02-23 Amendment #1 (Slager) prevailed; voice vote amendment-passage
• 2026-02-23 Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed reading-2
• 2026-02-24 Representative Wesco added as cosponsor
• 2026-02-24 Third reading: passed; Roll Call 353: yeas 62, nays 35 passage, reading-3, reading-3
• 2026-02-25 Motion to concur filed filing
• 2026-02-25 Returned to the Senate with amendments receipt
• 2026-02-26 Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 301: yeas 34, nays 15
• 2026-03-05 Signed by the Governor executive-signature
• 2026-02-27 Signed by the Speaker passage
• 2026-02-27 Signed by the President of the Senate passage
• 2026-02-27 Signed by the President Pro Tempore passage
• 2026-03-05 Public Law 134 became-law

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/eda1fd06-356c-46f7-8d19-4d1b2816369e. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).