Stay Informed

As the gavel fell on the 2024 Indiana General Assembly, Indiana Farm Bureau celebrated several legislative successes for Hoosier farmers and rural communities.

"As a key driver in Indiana’s economy, it is important for every Hoosier that the General Assembly considers the impact of policy decisions on agriculture,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “Our members are pleased with the willingness of legislators to listen to our concerns in addition to considering what would help agriculture be even more successful in the future.

“Legislative success comes in many forms, and what INFB does best is build relationships and make sure our voice is heard on behalf of Indiana agriculture and rural communities,” Kron added. “Our best work often gets little recognition because it never hits the headlines.”

Farmers led the discussion on water quantity this year. Although no major legislation on the topic passed this session, the groundwork was laid for future discussions.

“We’re grateful for the legislators who presented new water policy this year hoping to start the process of enacting change in areas where Indiana sorely needs it,” said Kron. “Ultimately, no major water policy was added this year and that’s okay. I think we need more information and more time to create a framework that makes sense. Creating water policy is something we need to get right, not fast.”

Although this was not a budget session, taxes were still a major focus for INFB, particularly the farmland formula. Ultimately, the language INFB supported ended up as a charge to do a summer study committee on the topic.

“We really fought for a change in the farmland formula in SB 256 this session,” said Katrina Hall, senior director of policy strategy and advocacy for INFB. “There was a 17% increase in farmland taxes in 2023 and there will be a 27% increase for 2024. Farmers cannot sustain those attacks on their bottom line. We’re hopeful we can get this taken care of in the 2025 session, but there’s still some work to be done.”

Other bills supported by INFB include:

• House Enrolled Act 1183 – This will ban the sale of land to foreign adversarial countries.
• House Enrolled Act 1106 – This will end the need for Department of Homeland Security permits and inspections for agritourism facilities unless they have a reported problem.
• House Enrolled Act 1093 – This is a rural opportunity bill for youth employment. It aligns rules with federal standards and allows 14- to 16-year-olds to get work experience, develop work ethic and help support themselves when needed.
• House Enrolled Act 1258 – This bill creates a framework for food health and safety inspections and the permitting of food trucks by local health departments, which would impact county fairs and agritourism facilities.
• Senate Enrolled Act 104 – This bill will inform the Indiana Board of Veterinary Medicine of the criminal history or activity of veterinary license or certificate holders or applicants.

“We have a strong network of farmers and ag professionals who help share experiences and real-world examples of how legislation will impact them. INFB coordinates and provides strategic advice to our members so they can be more efficient and effective in their advocacy efforts,” added Kron. “I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish this short session and always impressed by how much legislators lean on INFB to advise them on bills that could impact agriculture and our rural communities.”

More on INFB’s legislative season can be found here.