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Committee hears Hoosier Homestead bill to give multigenerational farms a local remonstrance process; vote deferred
Summary
Rep. Green introduced House Bill 12-65 to codify the Hoosier Homestead program and to create a local remonstrance process for family farms facing fee-simple condemnation; the House Agriculture Committee heard testimony and agreed to hold the bill to consider technical amendments at a later meeting.
Rep. Green presented House Bill 12-65, which would place the Hoosier Homestead Farm program into statute and create a limited remonstrance process for multi-generational Hoosier homestead farms facing fee-simple condemnation.
The bill would require the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to maintain an electronic registry of Hoosier Homestead farms and would notify local legislative bodies if a fee-simple taking is proposed for a registered homestead farm, triggering a local review. "12-65 simply gives a homestead farm the right to make 1 final appeal to their local legislative body to review the potential condemnation," Rep. Green said, describing the proposal as a targeted check in the eminent-domain process.
Supporters framed the measure as recognition of multi-generational family farms and as an added procedural step, not a blanket exemption. Linda Norton, who said her family farm is an eighth-generation operation, testified about the cultural importance of the Hoosier Homestead Award and urged support for codifying the program. Jason Abel, a fourth-generation farmer and county commissioner, said the measure complements other farmland-protection proposals and helps communities manage growth pressures.
ISDA offered technical input and said the Hoosier Homestead Award is a ceremonial program established in 1976; Quentin Hayes, ISDA's legislative director, testified the agency is neutral on HB 12-65 and suggested statutory language changes (for example, adding property-tax payment status to application criteria) that the department would like the legislature to consider.
Committee action and next steps: Representative Green and ISDA staff agreed to work on technical changes. The chair announced the bill would be held for a future meeting while the sponsor and staff finalize amendments. "Based on our conversation, it sounds like that may make the agenda for next week," Rep. Green said; the chair said he would hold the bill until those technical changes are prepared.
Ending: Committee members praised the program's role in honoring long-running family farms and said they would review proposed technical amendments before considering the measure for a committee vote.
