State • Indiana

SB 277: Indiana department of environmental management.

Rick NiemeyerEnacted

SB 277 status: Enacted — Signed by the Governor (updated Mar 5, 2026).

1

What this bill does

Overall score

Score40/100 civic fit
RiskHigh risk
ImpactHigh impact 75/100

Bill summary

Official

Amends, repeals, or adds certain terms. Makes certain changes concerning the purpose, structure, and powers of the department of environmental management (department) or the environmental rules board. Prohibits the department from basing a decision solely on federal risk values that have not been promulgated through fe...

Key analysis

Constitutionality70%
Bipartisan50%
Public opinion45%
2

Impact analysis

Environment

Critical Outlook
35%

Benefits

  • Streamlines state permitting processes
  • Reduces regulatory overlap with federal agencies

Risks

  • Limits agency use of non-promulgated federal risk values
  • Repeals specific citizen lawsuit provisions
  • Eliminates pollution prevention and voluntary compliance divisions

Economy

Positive Outlook
65%

Benefits

  • Increases regulatory certainty for industrial operations
  • Decreases administrative compliance burdens

Risks

  • Potential for increased long-term environmental remediation liabilities
  • Reduced oversight may affect local public health stability

Society

Critical Outlook
40%

Benefits

  • Improves government administrative efficiency
  • Standardizes fee structures

Risks

  • Reduces avenues for public legal recourse against polluters
  • Diminishes proactive pollution prevention programs
3

How trustworthy & consequential it is

Source

OpenStates

Confidence

low

low

Analysis status

OpenStates summary

Warning

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Limitation

Analysis is based on a high-level summary provided by OpenStates, not the full legislative text.

4

Where it stands

Signed by the Governor

Introduced

Complete

Committee

Complete

Floor

Complete

Governor

Complete

Enacted

Complete
5

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6

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