StateIndiana

SB 179: Indiana department of transportation.

Michael CriderIntroduced

SB 179 status: Introduced — Public Law 147 (updated Mar 12, 2026).

1

What this bill does

Overall score

Score75/100 civic fit
RiskModerate risk
ImpactHigh impact 80/100

Bill summary

Official

Allows the Indiana department of transportation (department) to assume the responsibilities and duties of the United States Department of Transportation with respect to certain federal environmental laws. Provides that the department waives its civil immunity and consents to the jurisdiction of the federal courts for r...

Key analysis

Constitutionality85%
Bipartisan70%
Public opinion50%
2

Impact analysis

Environment

Positive Outlook
60%

Benefits

  • State assumption of duties may expedite infrastructure project timelines
  • Clearer alignment with federal environmental standards

Risks

  • Potential risk of weaker oversight compared to federal authorities
  • State waiver of immunity exposes the agency to increased federal litigation

Economy

Positive Outlook
75%

Benefits

  • Infrastructure grant prioritization encourages fiscal efficiency
  • Updated coordinate system standardizes real property descriptions

Risks

  • Increased tax complexity for municipalities and vehicle owners
  • New overweight permit limits may increase costs for logistics firms

Society

Mixed / Neutral
50%

Benefits

  • Improved asset management could lead to better local road conditions

Risks

  • Potential for localized tax increases on vehicle registration
3

How trustworthy & consequential it is

Source

OpenStates

Confidence

low

low

Analysis status

OpenStates summary

Warning

LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.

Limitation

Analysis based on summary; specific legal definitions in full text are not available

4

Where it stands

1

Introduced

Current

Public Law 147

2

Committee

Upcoming
3

Floor

Upcoming
4

Governor

Upcoming
5

Enacted

Upcoming
5

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6

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