republic-os/legislation/us/states/in/2026/sb-285.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Housing matters."
description: "Requires the Indiana housing and community development authority (authority) to establish eligibility criteria for a potential recipient to be included in the authority's application for funding under the federal continuum of care program (program). Requires a recipient of program funding to submit an annual report to the authority. Defines \"gravely disabled\" for purposes of involuntary commitment. Prohibits an individual from camping, sleeping, or using for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law. Requires a law enforcement officer who discovers a person unlawfully using land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unlawful camping, sleeping, or long term shelter to determine if there are reasonable grounds for an emergency detention of the person, and, if reasonable grounds exist, to proceed under the emergency detention procedure and not the criminal law. Provides that, if there are not grounds for emergency detention and certain elements are met, a person who knowingly or intentionally uses land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long term shelter commits a Class C misdemeanor. Creates a defense to the crime if: (1) no beds are available in a shelter or treatment facility located within five miles; or (2) less than six months have passed since the person was released from a facility to which the person was involuntarily committed. Prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any policy that prohibits or discourages the enforcement of any order or ordinance prohibiting public camping, sleeping, or other obstruction of a sidewalk. Requires: (1) each local law enforcement agency to provide to the state police department the number of arrests made for violations of the prohibition of street camping; and (2) the state police department to provide this information to the authority. Specifies that the bill does not prohibit a policy, program, or order of a political subdivision that encourages a diversion program or encourages or requires providing housing or shelter in lieu of a citation or arrest. Makes technical corrections."
jurisdiction: "us/states/in"
legislature: "Indiana General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 285"
citation: "Indiana SB 285 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["AGENCIES; Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA)", "AGENCIES; Indiana State Police (ISP)", "CIVIL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Generally", "CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Creation of New Offenses", "HEALTH; Behavioral Health; Generally", "HEALTH; Behavioral Health; Mental Illness and Treatment", "LAW ENFORCEMENT; Generally", "SOCIAL SERVICES; Housing"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alex Zimmerman", "Cyndi Carrasco", "Eric Koch"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 34
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2026-01-12"
last_action: "2026-03-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2d812e66-4c2a-42a1-8de4-38ffb555e3f9"
source_url: "https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/sb0285"
source_hash: "63795087cff592c503e2c9153edaf2c87dc8c07fe8be8925f72189ed90d5682e"
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 285 (2026) — Housing matters.

Requires the Indiana housing and community development authority (authority) to establish eligibility criteria for a potential recipient to be included in the authority's application for funding under the federal continuum of care program (program). Requires a recipient of program funding to submit an annual report to the authority. Defines "gravely disabled" for purposes of involuntary commitment. Prohibits an individual from camping, sleeping, or using for long term shelter land owned by the state or a political subdivision, unless the land has been authorized for that use by law. Requires a law enforcement officer who discovers a person unlawfully using land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unlawful camping, sleeping, or long term shelter to determine if there are reasonable grounds for an emergency detention of the person, and, if reasonable grounds exist, to proceed under the emergency detention procedure and not the criminal law. Provides that, if there are not grounds for emergency detention and certain elements are met, a person who knowingly or intentionally uses land owned by the state or a political subdivision for unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long term shelter commits a Class C misdemeanor. Creates a defense to the crime if: (1) no beds are available in a shelter or treatment facility located within five miles; or (2) less than six months have passed since the person was released from a facility to which the person was involuntarily committed. Prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any policy that prohibits or discourages the enforcement of any order or ordinance prohibiting public camping, sleeping, or other obstruction of a sidewalk. Requires: (1) each local law enforcement agency to provide to the state police department the number of arrests made for violations of the prohibition of street camping; and (2) the state police department to provide this information to the authority. Specifies that the bill does not prohibit a policy, program, or order of a political subdivision that encourages a diversion program or encourages or requires providing housing or shelter in lieu of a citation or arrest. Makes technical corrections.

## Version chain

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

1. **Engrossed Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.03.ENGS.pdf)
2. **Engrossed Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.05.ENGH.pdf)
3. **Enrolled Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.06.ENRH.pdf)
4. **Introduced Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.01.INTR.pdf)
5. **Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.04.COMH.pdf)
6. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2026/senate/bills/SB0285/SB0285.02.COMS.pdf)

## Votes

- SB 285 - Carrasco - 3rd Reading — **29–19** (pass) · upper
- SB 285 - Zimmerman - 3rd Reading — **53–44** (pass) · lower
- SB 285 - Carrasco — **28–22** (pass) · upper
- SB 285 - Zimmerman - 2nd Reading — **31–62** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Alex Zimmerman — primary (person)
- Cyndi Carrasco — primary (person)
- Eric Koch — primary (person)
- Doug Miller — cosponsor (person)
- Michelle Davis — cosponsor (person)
- Scott Baldwin — coauthor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-12** First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2026-01-12** Senator Koch added as second author
- **2026-01-12** Authored by Senator Carrasco
- **2026-01-15** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-26** Amendment #3 (Pol) failed; voice vote `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-01-26** Amendment #6 (Carrasco) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage`
- **2026-01-26** Amendment #2 (Pol) failed; voice vote `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-01-26** Amendment #4 (Pol) failed; voice vote `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-01-26** Amendment #5 (Taylor G) failed; voice vote `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-01-26** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-01-27** Senator Baldwin added as coauthor
- **2026-01-28** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 129: yeas 29, nays 19 `passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2026-01-28** House sponsor: Representative Miller D
- **2026-01-29** Referred to the House `referral`
- **2026-02-02** First reading: referred to Committee on Courts and Criminal Code `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-18** Representative Miller D added as cosponsor
- **2026-02-18** Representative Miller D removed as sponsor
- **2026-02-18** Representative Zimmerman added as sponsor
- **2026-02-19** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-23** Representative Davis added as cosponsor
- **2026-02-23** Amendment #2 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-23** Amendment #3 (Zimmerman) prevailed; voice vote `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-23** Amendment #5 (Gore) failed; voice vote `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-02-23** Amendment #1 (Pierce M) failed; Roll Call 333: yeas 31, nays 62 `amendment-failure, failure`
- **2026-02-23** Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-02-24** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 359: yeas 53, nays 44 `passage, reading-3, reading-3`
- **2026-02-25** Returned to the Senate with amendments `receipt`
- **2026-02-25** Motion to concur filed `filing`
- **2026-02-26** Senate concurred with House amendments; Roll Call 303: yeas 28, nays 22
- **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 138 `became-law`
- **2026-03-05** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-02-27** Signed by the Speaker `passage`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2d812e66-4c2a-42a1-8de4-38ffb555e3f9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).