Under IC 4-22-2-24, notice is hereby given that on February 6, 2009, at 2:00 p.m., at the Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N1058, Conference Room, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Department of Local Government Finance will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule to establish formal procedures to govern the application for the standard deduction for homesteads.

IC 6-1.1-12-37(e) requires the Department to adopt rules or guidelines concerning the application for the homestead standard deduction. The Department finds the rule necessary to ensure uniform application procedures for the deduction and to provide guidance to the counties in determining whether an applicant qualifies for the deduction. The rule will result in fair and accurate reductions in the property tax burden for owners of qualified homesteads. Because no financial impact is expected as a result of this rule, no supporting data, studies, or analyses were relied upon by the Department in its determination that the rule will have no fiscal impact on state or local government. County auditors are required by statute to process applications for the homestead standard deduction. The proposed rule imposes no significant additional requirements on local government. No revenues, appropriations, distributions, or expenditures will be required as a result of the proposed rule. The rule will have no impact on small businesses.

Copies of these rules are available on the Department of Local Government Finance's website at www.in.gov/dlgf.

Copies of these rules are now on file at the Department of Local Government Finance, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room 1058 and Legislative Services Agency, One North Capitol, Suite 325, Indianapolis, Indiana and are open for public inspection.