INDIANAPOLIS—On Tuesday, Senate Bill (SB) 236 authored by State Senator Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) was approved out of the Senate with a vote of 47-1. This bill would help expand land banks by requiring a county executive to provide a land bank with a list of tracts located in the territory that are delinquent on property taxes or have been offered for public sale at least two times and remain unsold.

Sen. Lanane had the following response on the passage of his SB 236:

“I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for their support on this legislation,” Sen. Lanane said. “SB 236 is a simple bill that aims to make it easier for land banks to access properties that are on the tax sales rolls. By doing this, counties and cities will be able to more easily identify and obtain blighted land so that that property can be turned around and used productively.

“This proposal will be extremely beneficial to land banks, like the The Muncie Land Bank in my district, that will now have the tools needed to secure unmarketable land in the community to improve and turn around. SB 236 is good public policy, and I applaud the Senate for advancing this bill.”

SB 236 will now move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.