# Indiana SB 176: Shooting ranges. Indiana SB 176, Shooting ranges., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) Senate bill sponsored by James Tomes (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-05 (Signed by the Governor) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB176-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana SB 176 - State: Indiana - Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) - Title: Shooting ranges. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-05 - Last action: 2026-03-05, Signed by the Governor - Sponsor: James Tomes (Republican) - Cosponsors: 15 - Subjects: corrections and criminal law, the house, local government - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (212 yes, 64 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Provides that the maintenance, repair, renovation, modernization, or expansion of buildings, structures, or facilities used in connection with a shooting range, including improvements to safety, security accessibility, or environmental controls, is a continuation of a permitted use and may not be treated by a local unit of government as: (1) an expansion of a nonconforming use; or (2) a basis to deny, delay, or condition approval of any permit that is otherwise required under applicable building codes or safety regulations. Provides that if an area is zoned for commercial use, a retail sporting goods store is a permitted use on each lot or parcel. Provides that if a property is zoned for commercial, industrial, or agricultural use, an indoor shooting range is permitted on any lot or parcel if certain conditions are satisfied. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Easier improvement permits for shooting ranges: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana local governments must treat shooting-range repairs, renovations, upgrades, and facility expansions as continued permitted use. They cannot label this work an expansion of a nonconforming use to deny, delay, or add permit conditions. They must use the same objective… - Broader zoning access for sporting goods stores: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana sporting goods stores are permitted on commercially zoned lots without discretionary zoning approval. Historic areas and districts, flood plains, and qualifying commercial areas zoned for mixed-use housing are excluded. The mixed-use definition requires housing above… - More indoor range sites, with safety requirements: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana permits indoor shooting ranges in commercial, industrial, and agricultural zones without discretionary zoning approval. Walls, ceilings, floors, and backstops must contain all projectiles, and ranges must make reasonable efforts to limit noise affecting neighbors. In… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: James Tomes (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Aaron Freeman (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Ben Smaltz (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Blake Doriot (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Eric Koch (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Gary Byrne (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: James Buck (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jim Lucas (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jim Pressel (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Liz Brown (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Matt Commons (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Michael Crider (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael Young (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Bohacek (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Randy Maxwell (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tyler Johnson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-27 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 67 | 25 | | | 2026-02-27 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 42 | 8 | | | 2026-02-16 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 65 | 25 | | | 2026-01-26 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 38 | 6 | | ## Actions (45) - 2026-03-05: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Public Law 117 (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 403: yeas 67, nays 25 (House) - 2026-02-27: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2026-02-27: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 309: yeas 42, nays 8 (Senate) - 2026-02-26: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House) - 2026-02-26: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Senator Freeman added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senator Doriot removed as conferee (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senator Taylor G removed as conferee (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senator Koch added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senator Doriot added as conferee (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senator Garten added as conferee (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Representative Commons added as conferee (House) - 2026-02-24: Representative Commons removed as advisor (House) - 2026-02-24: Representative Johnson B removed as conferee (House) - 2026-02-19: Senate advisors appointed: Pol, Buck (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Senate conferees appointed: Tomes, Taylor G (Senate) - 2026-02-18: House advisors appointed: Commons, Lucas, Smith V (House) - 2026-02-18: House conferees appointed: Smaltz, Johnson B (House) - 2026-02-17: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Concurrence withdrawn (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Motion to concur filed (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2026-02-17: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 252: yeas 65, nays 25 (House) - 2026-02-12: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2026-02-10: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2026-02-02: Representatives Commons, Lucas added as cosponsors (House) - 2026-02-02: Representative Pressel added as cosponsor (House) - 2026-01-28: First reading: referred to Committee on Local Government (House) - 2026-01-27: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Senator Doriot added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Senator Brown L added as coauthor (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Senators Crider, Maxwell, Byrne, Johnson T, Bohacek added as coauthors (Senate) - 2026-01-26: House sponsor: Representative Smaltz (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Senator Buck added as second author (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 75: yeas 38, nays 6 (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Senator Young M added as third author (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Committee report: do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2026-01-05: First reading: referred to Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law (Senate) - 2026-01-05: Authored by Senator Tomes (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.04.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.02.COMS?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 179: Indiana department of transportation. (signed) - SB 204: Various education matters. (signed) - SB 185: Alcohol and tobacco matters. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales. (signed) - HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters. (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.04.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.02.COMS?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0176/versions/SB0176.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 179: Indiana department of transportation.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB179-2026) - [SB 204: Various education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB204-2026) - [SB 185: Alcohol and tobacco matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB185-2026) - [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2026) - [HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1424-2026) - [HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1406-2026) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB176-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).