Submitted by Office of Gov. Mike Braun
On Tuesday, April 21, Governor Mike Braun ceremonially signed SEA 285, legislation establishing a statewide prohibition on unauthorized camping on public land while connecting homeless Hoosiers to shelter, diversion, and mental health services.
“Hoosiers deserve safe streets, sidewalks, and public areas in our cities, and homeless individuals deserve a clear path to shelter, treatment, and mental health services,” Gov. Braun said. “SEA 285 helps communities take immediate action to make streets safer and address the underlying problem in a meaningful way.”
The law prohibits unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long-term shelter on land owned by the state or a political subdivision. Before criminal enforcement moves forward, law enforcement must first determine whether emergency mental health detention is appropriate and, if not, provide a warning and information about available shelter and services.
The purpose of the bill is not criminal action, but moving homeless Hoosiers toward social service networks to help them get needed services and stay safe.
Before Braun’s leadership with SEA 285, Indiana’s approach to the issue of homelessness had focused on housing-first legislation that has demonstrably not reduced homelessness.
Under SEA 285, a person may be charged only if at least 48 hours have passed since the warning and the person remains within 300 feet of the warned location. The law provides diversion options and provides defenses when no shelter or treatment bed is available within five miles or when a person has been recently released following an involuntary mental health commitment.
SEA 285 strengthens accountability by preventing local policies that discourage enforcement of public-camping and sidewalk-obstruction rules. The law requires annual reporting from local law enforcement and from recipients of Continuum of Care funding so the state can better measure efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness.
