Criminal penalties for sleeping outside. Applies to all 92 counties. No shelter capacity requirement attached to the law. Enabled by the 2024 Grants Pass ruling.
Illinois · Democrat
Market Correction
Bans bots, speculative resales, and junk fees in live-event ticketing. Uses state power to discipline a market predator. Grounded in the FTC's 2022 findings on consumer harm.
LEGISLATIVE TIMELINE — DUAL TRACK
Indiana: Camping Ban
Illinois: Ticket Reform
◇ = Federal precedent · Hover events for detail
Policy Type
Enforcement / Criminal Penalty
Party
Republican
Effective
2026-07-01
Counties Covered
92
Key Events
2024-06-28
◇Grants Pass v. Johnson decided
U.S. Supreme Court rules 6–3 that anti-camping ordinances do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment, removing the primary constitutional barrier to statewide camping bans.
Indiana General Assembly passes the statewide public camping ban, making it illegal to camp on any public property across all 92 counties. The bill received Gov. Mike Braun's signature in early 2026. Critics note shelter capacity in many counties falls well short of demand.
The statewide ban becomes enforceable July 1. Homeless advocacy groups argue it criminalizes poverty without providing adequate shelter alternatives across Indiana's 92 counties.
Indiana's public camping ban, effective July 1, 2026, makes it illegal to camp on public property anywhere in the state. It applies to all 92 Indiana counties and was part of a package of eight new state laws.
The Legal Backstop
The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2024 decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson held that anti-camping ordinances do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment, clearing the constitutional path for state-level bans like Indiana's.
The Advocacy Concern
Homeless advocacy groups argue the ban criminalizes poverty without providing adequate shelter alternatives. Shelter capacity in many Indiana counties falls well short of demand, a gap critics say the legislation does not address.
Housing First vs. Enforcement
The Housing First model — which prioritizes permanent housing without preconditions — is the approach most supported by federal housing research. Indiana's enforcement-first approach marks a departure from that framework.
Key Questions
Indiana criminalizes public camping; Illinois bans ticket junk fees — same week, opposite governing instincts.