The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana bill establishes agricultural resource areas and farmland advisory board
Last action · January 13, 2026: Representative Pfaff added as coauthorSponsors: Kendell Culp and 3 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Representative Kendell Culp introduced House Bill 1356, which requires Indiana counties to establish programs for landowners by January 1, 2027, providing protections from and nonagricultural annexation. The bill also creates a Farmland Advisory Board to oversee agricultural s and authorizes counties to offer a property tax deduction of up to 15% for participating land.
Qualifying landowners who voluntarily place land in an gain specific exemptions from condemnation and nonagricultural rezonings, while county governments receive authority to grant property tax deductions of up to fifteen percent for enrolled parcels.
- The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature responsible for enacting laws concerning agriculture, local government, and property taxation. context
- The Indiana State Department of Agriculture administers agricultural programs, promotes trade, and assists with economic development initiatives across the state. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Landowners
Landowners with qualifying acreage may apply for agricultural resource area designation, gaining eminent domain protections, tax deduction eligibility, and restrictions on annexation.
County Commissioners
County commissioners are required to adopt ordinances, establish review commissions, and maintain land use planning maps for agricultural resource areas.
Indiana state department of agriculture
The department is authorized to hold agricultural conservation easements, monitor agreements with nongovernment entities, and provide staff support to the Farmland Advisory Board.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What land is eligible to be placed in an agricultural resource area?
Can land inside an agricultural resource area be condemned through eminent domain?
How long does an agricultural resource area designation last?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 13, 2026HouseRepresentative Pfaff added as coauthor
- Jan 12, 2026HouseRepresentatives Greene, Aylesworth added as coauthors
- Jan 8, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Local Government
- Jan 8, 2026HouseAuthored by Representative Culp
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory County Agricultural Planning
Shifts Indiana agricultural land preservation from optional local measures to a mandatory county-level ordinance adoption process by January 1, 2027.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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