Mike Braun Signs SEA 285, Bans Street Camping Statewide
Summary
Governor Mike Braun signed SEA 285, enacting a statewide ban on unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long-term shelter on public land owned by the state or a political subdivision. The law requires law enforcement to assess mental health needs before enforcement and provide a 48-hour warning with shelter and service information before criminal charges can be filed if the person remains within 300 feet of the warned location. The legislation preempts local policies that discourage enforcement and mandates annual reporting from law enforcement agencies and Continuum of Care funding recipients.
“The law prohibits unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long-term shelter on land owned by the state or a political subdivision.”
Law enforcement agencies in Indiana should update operational procedures to document mental health assessments and the 48-hour warning process before any camping-related enforcement. The five-mile shelter/treatment bed availability defense means agencies should maintain records of bed availability to properly invoke this defense. Organizations receiving Continuum of Care funding should prepare for the new annual reporting requirements mandated under the legislation.
What changed
SEA 285 establishes a statewide prohibition on unauthorized camping, sleeping, or long-term shelter on public land, creating a new Class C misdemeanor for violations. The law mandates that law enforcement first assess whether emergency mental health detention is appropriate before any criminal enforcement, and if not, issue a warning with shelter and service information. Criminal charges may only proceed if at least 48 hours have passed since the warning and the person remains within 300 feet of the warned location.
Local law enforcement agencies and organizations receiving Continuum of Care funding face new annual reporting obligations to help the state measure efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness. The law also preempts local ordinances that discourage enforcement of public-camping and sidewalk-obstruction rules, restricting local discretion in this area.
Scheduled event
- Date
- 2026-04-21
- Location
- Indianapolis
Archived snapshot
Apr 22, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Gov. Mike Braun Takes Action to Ban Street Camping, Connect Homeless Hoosiers to Help
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Gov. Mike Braun Takes Action to Ban Street Camping, Connect Homeless Hoosiers to Help
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun today 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. SEA 285 helps communities take immediate action to make streets safer and address the underlying problem in a meaningful way.” — Governor Mike Braun
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 Governor Braun’s leadership with SEA285, Indiana’s approach to the issue of homelessness had focused on housing-first legislation that has demonstrably not reduced homelessness.
Under SEA285, 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.
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