HB1662 is a big government bill that would supplant the expertise of local officials with an unfunded, one-size-fits-all state mandate. If passed, the bill would make it a misdemeanor to sleep on public property. It would also require local officials to charge certain people with a crime after issuing a warning.
Homelessness is a significant challenge in some parts of Indiana. The ACLU of Indiana opposes HB 1662 because local officials, not the legislature, are best positioned to decide how to provide support to people without housing. As a society, we will not arrest our way out of homelessness.
