Committee hears Hoosier Homestead bill to add remonstrance process for century farms; ISDA neutral

Representative Greene (presenting HB 1265) said the bill would codify the Hoosier Homestead Farm program and give qualifying farms a local opportunity to remonstrate when a fee‑simple taking by eminent domain is proposed. Greene said the state lost 345,682 acres of farmland between 2010 and 2022 and described HB 1265 as a complementary measure to Representative Culp’s easement bill.

“1265 simply gives a homestead farm the right to make one final appeal to their local legislative body to review the potential condemnation,” Greene said, adding the process would be limited to fee‑simple takings and would not apply to easements, leases, voluntary sales, or good‑faith negotiations.

Witnesses who spoke in support included Linda Norton, who described her family’s 8th‑generation farm and said she supported putting the Hoosier Homestead award into statute; and Jason Abel, a fourth‑generation farmer and county commissioner, who said the bill would help communities under rapid growth pressure. ISDA’s Quentin Hayes testified he was neutral on HB 1265 and suggested statutory clarifications such as including property‑tax‑paid requirements and specifying which parcel(s) would qualify for remonstrance.

Representative Greene said staff and ISDA were working on technical changes and that those amendments may appear at the next meeting; the chair announced the bill would be held until those changes were drafted.

Because the measure was presented for discussion and the author said technical amendments were forthcoming, the committee recorded no final vote on HB 1265 at this hearing and left further action to a later meeting.