1. (a) 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. (1) an expansion of a nonconforming use; or
   2. (2) a basis to deny, delay, or condition approval of any permit that is otherwise required under applicable building codes or safety regulations.

2. (b) A local unit of government shall review and act upon any application for a permit described in subsection (a) using the same objective standards and procedures that apply to similarly situated commercial, industrial, or agricultural properties, without regard to the:

   1. (1) type of goods or services offered by the shooting range; or
   2. (2) status of the property with respect to annexation.

3. (c) A local unit of government may not condition, explicitly or implicitly, the approval, issuance, or timely processing of a permit described in subsection (a) on the:

   1. (1) owner's or operator's consent to annexation by a municipality (as defined in IC 36-1-2-11 ); or
   2. (2) waiver of any right granted to the owner or operator under this chapter or any other law.

4. (d) Nothing in this section prohibits a local unit of government from enforcing generally applicable building, fire, or safety codes that are:

   1. (1) neutral and of general applicability; and
   2. (2) not adopted or applied for the purpose of restricting, hindering, or causing the closure of a shooting range.

As added by P.L.117-2026, SEC.2.