Indianapolis, Ind. — Hoosiers will see changes July 1 following one of the most active Indiana General Assembly sessions in recent years. The new laws are designed to protect, educate and prepare state government for the future.
The gas tax will increase by 10 cents and BMV fees will be increased and added. Registrations will now include a $15 transportation infrastructure improvement fee. Owners of electric vehicles will pay a $150 supplemental registration fee (SRF) and hybrid vehicle owners add a $50 SRF.
State law will now require minors to wear helmets while operating any ATV or off-road vehicle or side-by-side off road vehicle on public or private property. This includes riders at Redbird and Interlake state recreation areas.
Employees at public and private schools will be subject to more extensive background checks. Deeper, more thorough background checks could now result in an additional 30,000 investigations required annually. The bill also requires current employees to undergo the expanded background check every five years.
The law requiring residents to obtain a license to carry a handgun has been repealed. Hoosier can now possess a handgun by following a list of guidelines. Handgun owners can now carry a weapon in a vehicle as long as it is unloaded and out of reach. State officials did clarify “out of reach” by saying, “In the trunk is out of reach, in the glove box is not.”
New laws will also form a task force to assess services provided to the disabled and children. The task force has a November 1, 2018 deadline to quantify how many people are waiting for services and resources needed to bridge the gap.
