Committee advances bill creating Office of Entrepreneurship and shifting oversight of certified tech parks to new office

Representative Alexander Lopez presented Senate Bill 516, which would establish an Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, add reporting requirements for local governments when the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) purchases land, and change certain IEDC leadership titles. “It stands up the office of entrepreneurship and innovation,” Lopez said, describing reporting changes for land purchases and additional transparency around certified tech parks.

Lopez said Amendment 10 clarifies to whom written notice must be provided when IEDC purchases local land — specifically naming boards of county commissioners and municipal mayors — and moves oversight of certified tech parks from IEDC to the new office. “We wanted to make sure that with respect to reporting to locals, it was clear to whom reports had to go, and then it was done in writing,” Lopez said.

Several members raised concerns about removing local control and potential loss of tax base when property is purchased for tech parks. Representative Sam Campbell said the amendment addresses transparency but asked that locals have input before the state effectively removes property from local tax rolls. Lopez responded that the bill creates reporting and notification, not permission to purchase land: “All this bill is doing is creating some reporting and transparency around that, as opposed to creating that permission.”

Representative Jordan Porter offered multiple amendments aimed at increasing budget-committee access to materials and ensuring equal treatment for budget committee members. Amendment 8 required IEDC to provide notes of notices to local units to the budget committee; Amendment 12 required that members of the state budget committee receive equal treatment in briefings (with standard nondisclosure agreements where appropriate). Both were adopted by consent. Representative Porter later proposed an amendment to require 30 days’ notice to the budget committee before extending state incentives; after discussion about negotiation timeframes and speed of business, he withdrew that amendment.

Representative Slager asked whether the bill’s projected $1.9 million fiscal effect implied new hires; Lopez and IEDC staff indicated existing personnel would assume responsibilities and the agency did not intend new headcount, though fiscal documents reflect salary-plus-benefits calculations.

The committee adopted the package of amendments by consent in several steps. The amended bill passed out of committee on a recorded vote of 23 to 0. During the discussion members repeatedly framed the changes as transparency measures rather than transfers of authority: the bill adds written notice requirements to local elected officials and reporting to the budget committee, while moving technical oversight of certified tech parks into a statutorily established office.