General Assembly wraps up in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 Indiana General Assembly wrapped up its work on Feb. 27, which included some wins for agriculture, according to leaders at Indiana Farm Bureau.

“This was a truly unique legislative session for Indiana across the board and the fastest I’ve experienced in my decades of advocating for agriculture at the Statehouse” said Randy Kron, INFB president.

“Losing two weeks off an already short session meant that bills moved through quicker than they should have. We probably tried to kill more bills than we tried to promote, and that’s not normal.”

Some bills that INFB engaged with this session included:

• House Bill 1001 — This bill passed in a form that was significantly better for home rule than the House originally offered. It removes some of the restrictions around use of residential Tax Increment Financing, but the sections that would have caused loss of some aspects of local planning and zoning of residential development were removed.

• House Bill 1003 — Creates the Agricultural Promotion and Regulation Task Force to do a comprehensive review of agriculture regulatory framework. What began as a task force only comprised of legislators now includes INFB along with Agribusiness Council of Indiana, Purdue College of Agriculture, Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine and select members engaged in beef cattle, corn, dairy, poultry, soybeans and swine.

• House Bill 1137 — Would have banned 13 ingredients in school foods and beverages, many of which are used in food products to ensure safety and extend shelf life. INFB opposed this bill, and although the bill’s author attempted to insert language into other bills in the second half, ultimately this did not make it through.

• House Bill 1249 — Language protects farmers against unauthorized drones flying through barns, unauthorized spraying, or drones being used to harass farm animals and damage crops.

• House Bill 1333 — Although this bill’s intent was to preserve prime farmland and instead drive large scale development toward less viable land, it contained language that would have eliminated aspects of local planning and zoning to accomplish that goal. INFB opposes any policy that limits local control. With the help of INFB members, that bill did not move forward.

• House Bill 1424 — Adds another avenue in statute to allow home-based vendors to sell direct from their homes without as many restrictions.