Indianapolis officials are taking another crack at putting a stop to panhandling Downtown.

Republicans Michael McQuillen and Susie Cordi filed a proposed ordinance Friday that would prevent people from sitting or lying down on city streets or sidewalks from 6 a.m. to midnight in the mile square. The council will begin considering the proposal on Sept. 24, but final action likely wouldn't come for months.

McQuillen said he's increasingly hearing complaints from constituents who think too many panhandlers are clogging up the sidewalks Downtown and they're becoming too aggressive.

"It's just become a public safety issue," he said. "I have heard from more and more people who are being approached by panhandlers asking for money, touched by panhandlers asking for money and they don't feel safe."

It's unclear what kind of reception the proposal will receive. Democrats control the City-County Council and president Vop Osili could not immediately be reached for comment.

Taylor Schaffer, Mayor Joe Hogsett's spokeswoman, said city attorneys would sit down with McQuillen to discuss the proposal.

"It is our hope that through community conversation and collaboration we can develop solutions that address legitimate public safety concerns while ensuring downtown Indianapolis continues to be a place that welcomes all," she said.

Over the past decade, so called sit-lie ordinances have become a popular, and in certain circumstances legal, way for cities to curb panhandling. They're popping up in places such as San Francisco, Seattle, Austin and Boise.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled earlier this year that such laws are constitutional so long as the homeless have options for adequate shelter. The opinion came after Portland's ordinance was struck down in 2009, when a district court ruled the city did not have adequate shelter.

McQuillen said he thinks Indianapolis would withstand a legal challenge, saying the city has multiple shelters, including the recently opened Reuben Engagement Center, a detox facility that offers temporary care and connects people to long-term recovery resources.

McQuillen sees a clear difference between the homeless and panhandlers. The ordinance, he said, is targeting street beggars.

"I want to help homeless people get into a better situation," McQuillen said, "however, i have zero compassion for panhandlers, who are not homeless. They are just down there trying to make a quick, free buck."

It's unclear what amount violators would be fined. McQuillen said there are common-sense exemptions, such as people in wheelchairs, babies in strollers, people sitting in chairs at restaurants, or watching parades.

"Someone who is approached by an officer will have the opportunity to be transported to a shelter or other place they can receive help or care," he said. "If they refuse, the officer can encourage them to move on and they would be subject to being ticketed."

Some advocates for the homeless are against the proposal.

Caleb Sutton, interim director of Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), said he doesn't think the city has adequate space in shelters for the 1,600 people experiencing homelessness at any given time. He said he believes a court might overturn the ordinance.

"The reality is our city does not have the capacity to house individuals experiencing homelessness during the day, given the fact that most shelters are only open in the evening," he said. "Before we start to criminalize individuals experiencing homelessness, we need to focus our efforts on finding a safe place for individuals to go."

The ordinance is the latest in a line of proposals, some of which have failed and some of which have passed, to curb panhandling.

Last year, CHIP and Downtown Indy installed donation boxes and meters around Downtown as an alternative for people who donate to panhandlers. According to CHIP, the program has raised $40,000 to supplement funding that provides housing for the homeless, including five longtime panhandlers who decided to stop.

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich and at facebook.com/chris.sikich.