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Committee hears bill to codify Hoosier Homestead program and allow local remonstrance against condemnation
Summary
House Bill 1265 would place the Hoosier Homestead Award program into statute, create an electronic registry of qualifying farms and provide a local remonstrance process before fee-simple eminent-domain takings of homestead farms; the committee heard testimony and agreed to hold the bill for technical amendments.
Representative [name given in testimony as Representative Green] introduced House Bill 1265 to the House Agriculture Committee, proposing to codify the Hoosier Homestead Award program and to give qualifying century-plus family farms a local remonstrance process when a fee-simple condemnation is proposed.
Supporters said the measure formalizes a long-running ceremonial program and gives multi-generational family farms an avenue to seek local review before a final condemnation decision. "We learned that the state of Indiana lost 345,682 acres between 2010 and 2022," the bill’s sponsor said, citing the ISDA inventory; the sponsor said the legislation would "balance competing views of time" by allowing a final local appeal for homestead farms subject to condemnation.
The bill would require ISDA to maintain an electronic registry of homestead farms and would limit the remonstrance to fee-simple takings; it would not apply to easements, leases, voluntary sales or negotiated eminent-domain acquisitions. Supporters noted more than 6,000 existing Hoosier Homestead Awards and said codifying the program would make the registry and protections more visible to owners and to local officials.
Witnesses included longtime award recipients and farmers who described genealogical research and the value of the award to families. Linda Norton, who said her family farm is an eighth-generation operation and will become bicentennial in 2029, testified in support of putting the program into statute and creating awareness of qualifying farms. Jason Abel, a fourth-generation farmer and a Shelby County commissioner, said similar policies are one part of addressing growth pressures.
Quentin Hayes of ISDA testified neutral on HB 1265 and suggested changes the agency recommends, including placing the application process and tax-status conditions in statute and clarifying that the parcel designated as a Hoosier Homestead is the one eligible for remonstrance. Representative Green said technical amendments are being worked with ISDA and that the measure will be held for the committee’s next meeting to incorporate those changes.
No committee vote was taken on House Bill 1265 at this hearing; the bill was held until staff and the author complete technical edits.
The committee expects to consider the amended language at a subsequent meeting.
