Indiana laws on guns, gender, abortion take effect July 1

(The Center Square) – The Indiana General Assembly passed 179 pieces of legislation during the 2022 session, which will take effect on July 1. The most prominent new laws deal with guns, gender, abortion and rape. Here is a summary of legal changes coming Friday:

Permitless carry allowed

A permit will no longer be needed to carry a concealed firearm in Indiana. HEA 1296 repealed a previous law requiring a concealed carry permit. The law also prohibits certain persons from carrying a handgun, including those convicted of crimes punishable by more than a year in prison, fugitives from justice, persons in the United States unlawfully, and persons convicted of domestic violence or stalking.

A separate law created stiffer penalties for using a handgun in certain crimes, including against a police officer.

Transgender students barred from girls sports

Transgender girls will be prohibited from participation in school sports sports. HEA 1041 prohibits any male, as defined by “the student’s biological sex at birth in accordance with the student’s genetics and reproductive biology,” from playing on a girls sports team.

Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill, but that veto was overridden by the General Assembly. The new law has been challenged in federal court through a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, representing a 10-year-old student. The law will take effect July 1 unless unless an injunction is issued by the court.

Abortion

Coercing a woman to have an abortion will become a felony, and service providers will be required to ask women seeking abortion whether or not that have been coerced into the decision. HEA 1217 also requires attempts to coerce abortion be reported to law enforcement.

Definition of rape broadened

Engaging in sexual activity with a person who has verbally refused to participate will be considered rape starting July 1. HEA 1079 expands to definition of rape to include continuing sexual activity after disregarding the other person’s attempt to refuse, either physically, verbally or by other visible conduct.

This provision is added to the previous definition of rape as engaging in sex either through the use force or the threat of force, or with a person who was unaware that the activity is occurring or is mentally incapable of giving consent.

Some taxes reduced

Income taxes will be lower in 2023 and 2024. HB 1102 reduced the individual adjusted gross income tax rate from this year’s rate of 3.23% to 3.15% in 2023 and 2024.

SB 382 reduces the tax rate for closed system vape cartridges from 25% to 15% of the wholesale price.

State fossil named

Indiana will have an official state fossil next month. HEA1013designates the mastodon to represent Indiana. Mastodons were common in Indiana until becoming extinct more than 10,000 years ago. Their fossilized bones are frequently found in the state.

The mastodon is also the state fossil of Michigan. Only four states have not designated an official fossil.