About

Policy Happenings

With so many bills proposed every legislative session, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—especially when it comes to protecting Indiana’s water supply. We work to gather the key water-related legislation from the Statehouse every year as well as provide updates after the session. Read on to find out how you can make your voice heard to safeguard Indiana’s water future.

Water Policy Coordinator, Bill Blomquist, provided this update on how the recent legislative session and executive order have brought important Indiana water policy developments.

The 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly saw almost three dozen water-related bills introduced. In the end, a dozen passed the legislature to become law.

Some of these are positive additions to Indiana water policy – Senate bills 4 (Koch), 28 (Glick), 193 (Niemeyer), 211 (Glick), and 459 (Niemeyer) and House bill 1459 (Pressel). Unfortunately, House Bill 1037 (Miller) also passed, which removes local authority to enact construction-site stormwater control rules beyond what the state requires.

During the final week of the legislative session, however, some of the biggest news in Indiana water policy came from the executive branch. On April 21st , Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed Executive Order 25-63, which calls for the creation of a statewide water resource inventory, a state water management plan, and a blueprint for improving the state’s water monitoring network. We certainly welcome these initiatives, which have been the focus of much of our work, especially in recent years.

Interested in participating in the conversation? Join us at this year’s 8th Annual Indiana Water Summit.

Bills

  • HB 1043 Data Center Water Regulation

    Bill: HB 1043 Data Center Water Regulation

    Author: Rep. Alex Burton (D-Evansville)

    Referred To: House Committee on Natural Resources

    Link to the bill: IGA | House Bill 1043 – Data center water regulation

    HB 1043 would require a water consumption permit to be issued by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before any person/company could operate a data center that would use 10 million gallons or more of water per month. It contains a definition of “data center.” The bill specifies the information that must be submitted with the permit application and established the process for DNR to follow in approving or denying the application. HB 1043 allows a person/company to consult DNR prior to applying, to assess the viability of a proposed data center with respect to water consumption. It also authorizes the Natural Resources Commission to adopt any needed rules to implement the bill’s permit requirement and/or application process.

    Stance: None at this time