The 2024 Indiana General Assembly is officially over, and we would like to thank everyone who supported and advocated for these crucial environmental bills!

This year’s session brought both huge wins and challenges for the future of protecting our state’s environment. From reducing wetland protections to protecting public safety concerns on Lake Michigan, this state legislature had a wide range of issues to consider. Some of the bills our organization was most encouraged to see get signed into law include SB 253, introduced by our very own State Senator Rodney Pol! This bill now requires the owner of a pier or public access site on Lake Michigan to install public rescue equipment. This bill will help ensure that Hoosiers are better protected when recreating on our shoreline.

Although we were sad to see that HB 1383 passed, which will reduce wetland protection for class III wetlands (our most protected wetlands in Indiana), we were encouraged to see the passing of SB 246. This bill will expand an existing program to create a voluntary incentive for wetland preservation and will reward property owners who maintain wetlands by providing them with lower property taxes. By incentivizing these smaller wetlands to be maintained, these owners will help their local communities reduce flooding, replenish groundwater supplies, and increase habitat for local waterfowl. 

There was also much discussion on public health regulations, including PFAS (or “forever chemicals”) with HB 1399. Although there was a large movement by the American Chemical Council and other large manufacturers to limit the state definition of PFAS to exclude harmful polymers from being regulated, we were encouraged to see this bill not moved forward by the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee.

Although there is still much more work to be done to protect our environmental concerns next year, each effort that you made to contact your local senator or representatives contributed to our movement to protect and advocate for the Indiana dunes, Lake Michigan, and the surrounding natural areas for the health and vitality of the environment, and the people who live, work, and recreate in Northwest Indiana.

Thank you for being a part of this effort, and we hope you join us on our state legislative journey in 2025!