Sec. 22. (a) Any area that is part of a fire protection district and is annexed by a municipality that is not a part of the district ceases to be a part of the fire protection district when the municipality begins to provide fire protection services to the area.

     (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if a fire protection district has a total net assessed value (as determined by the county auditor) of more than one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) on the date that the annexation ordinance is adopted:

(1) the annexed area shall remain a part of the fire protection district after the annexation takes effect; and

(2) the fire protection district shall continue to provide fire protection services to the annexed area.

Nothing in this section requires a municipality to provide fire protection services to an annexed area described in this subsection.

As added by P.L.341-1987, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.236-2019, SEC.2.