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The goal of Senate Enrolled Act 20, passed during the 2020 legislative session, is to ensure that agriculture is properly represented on local advisory plan commissions.

Under current law, the ag extension educator is a voting member of the advisory plan commission if the county has a countywide or area planning and zoning commission. As passed, SEA 20 makes updates to county commissions by requiring the extension educator to be a resident of that county in order to be a voting member.

“Over the past several years, there have been instances of an extension educator voting on a local issue that doesn’t directly impact them because the individual lives in a different county,” said Katrina Hall, INFB director of public policy. “The goal of this legislation is to ensure that those voting on an issue are residents and are therefore impacted by whatever decision is made."

Additionally, SEA 20 allows that if the existing extension educator isn’t a resident of the county, Purdue Extension office has until Oct. 1 to name a resident of the county to serve. If the county extension board can’t find a replacement, the board can select a resident who is a property owner with an agricultural interest to serve on the commission for one year.

Hall added that the extension educator who lives outside the county can continue to serve, but in a nonvoting, advisory capacity.