Jasper County legislators highlight new state laws taking effect

STATEHOUSE (July 7, 2026) – Local lawmakers are highlighting new laws that took effect July 1 following the 2026 legislative session. These new laws will help support Hoosier farmers and small businesses, crack down on foreign adversaries and reduce energy costs.

Local lawmakers highlighted the following new laws that will impact Hoosiers:

House Enrolled Act 1424: Supporting Hoosier Farmers, Small Businesses

State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) said a new law prevents over-regulation on Hoosier farmers and local vendors, giving them more freedom to sell their products and expanding access to affordable, homegrown food.

"Hoosiers should be able to easily access food and products from our local growers and small businesses," Aylesworth said. "This new law opens the door for local farmers, reduces regulatory barriers and encourages more affordable and healthy food options."

Senate Enrolled Act 256: Cracking Down on Foreign Adversaries
A new law, sponsored by State Rep. Matt Commons (R-Williamsport), creates one of the strongest foreign adversary transparency frameworks in the country. It expands protections on Indiana land from prohibited foreign actors, secures our research institutions from hostile interference, safeguards critical state technology contracts and prevents tax credits from being applied to them.

"Countries like China and Russia should not be reaping the benefits of U.S. information, research or business operations," Commons said. "Now, Hoosier land, institutions, intellectual property and contracts will have expanded protections from adversarial nations."

House Enrolled Act 1355: Streamlining Farming Operations

State Rep. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) said a new law he authored streamlines the permitting process and provides more regulatory flexibility for certain farming operations to support Hoosier agriculture. It also gives farmers one point of contact for Indiana Department of Environmental Management applications and protects growing farms from costly regulatory upgrades when expanding their facilities.

"Bureaucratic red tape can be detrimental to farmers when starting or expanding their operations," Culp said. "This new law ensures we are eliminating unnecessary administrative hoops and providing assistance to our growing agricultural industry while still ensuring strong environmental protections."

House Enrolled Act 1002: Reducing Energy Costs

A new law prioritizes energy affordability by adding performance-based accountability to ensure utilities are hitting targets aimed at reducing costs and improving services for Hoosier ratepayers. It expands the use of levelized billing plans for low-income customers to ensure more consistent monthly payments and adds additional protections for Hoosiers.
 

Visit iga.in.gov to learn more about these and other new state laws.

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State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.

State Rep. Matt Commons (R-Williamsport) represents House District 13,
which includes all of Benton and Warren counties, and portions of
Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Tippecanoe and White counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.

State Rep. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) represents House District 16,
which includes portions of Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and White counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.