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Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana Bill Modifies Municipal Annexation Rules, Petition Signatures, and Remonstrance Procedures
Last action · January 5, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Local GovernmentSponsors: Dave Hall and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Requires a municipality that initiates an annexation to file an annexation petition (petition) with a court signed by: (1) at least 51% of the owners of non-tax exempt land in the annexation territory; or (2) the owners of at least 75% in assessed valuation of non-tax exempt land in the annexation territory. Eliminates: (1) remonstrances and waivers; (2) reimbursement of remonstrator's attorney's fees and costs; (3) settlement agreements in lieu of annexation; (4) contiguity of a public highway provisions; and (5) a required fiscal plan for certain super voluntary annexations. Reduces the number of outreach meetings from six to three. For super voluntary annexations, requires a municipality to: (1) hold a hearing on the petition within 90 (instead of 30) days; (2) adopt an annexation ordinance within 120 (instead of 60) days. Allows a super voluntary annexation of noncontiguous land for business, industrial, or residential development, if: (1) the landowner and municipal utility agree on the provision of gas, electric, water, or sewer service to the property; and (2) the county executive timely approves the petition. Allows noncontiguous land annexed in a super voluntary annexation to be used for additional voluntary or super voluntary annexations of contiguous land. After December 31, 2026, allows signatures on petitions to be gathered by mail. Provides that annexation territory that is divided by railroad tracks satisfies contiguity requirements, if the territory on at least one side of the railroad tracks is contiguous to the municipality. Grandfathers in annexations that adopt: (1) a fiscal plan before March 30, 2026; or (2) an annexation ordinance before March 30, 2026 (if a fiscal plan is not required by current law). Removes obsolete provisions.
Property owners and municipalities face new procedural requirements for s, altering how landowners challenge city expansions, how petitions are gathered and verified, and how municipal fiscal plans and outreach meetings are conducted.
- Municipal annexation in Indiana is governed by statutory provisions in Title 36 of the Indiana Code, which dictate how cities and towns may incorporate adjacent unincorporated land. context
- Remonstrance procedures allow property owners within a proposed annexation area to formally object and challenge the city's expansion in court if statutory signature thresholds are met. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Municipalities
Municipalities must alter their annexation procedures, including court filings, public outreach meeting counts, and petition forms.
Landowners in annexation territory
Landowners face modified petition signature rules, altered remonstrance procedures, and new guidelines for mail-in signatures.
County auditors
County auditors must handle certification, petition processing, and document management under updated statutory timelines.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What signature requirements apply to municipal annexation petitions under the bill?
How does the bill affect public outreach meetings for proposed annexations?
What happens to existing remonstrance waivers?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Jan 5, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Local Government
- Jan 5, 2026HouseCoauthored by Representative Meltzer
- Jan 5, 2026HouseAuthored by Representative Hall
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition Away From Traditional Remonstrances
The legislation systematically phases out or restricts traditional remonstrance processes and waivers for annexations with fiscal plans adopted after March 30, 2026, replacing them with court petition requirements.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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