Every summer, as the temperature rises and the days get longer, many of Indiana's new laws from the legislative session also take effect. During the 2024 legislative session, I joined my fellow lawmakers in taking action to help Hoosiers, including safeguarding Indiana farmland, protecting our veterans and honoring first responders.
I continue to share in the growing concern about foreign adversaries like China and Russia buying farmland across our nation including right here at home. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foreign ownership of U.S. land is up by a staggering 40% since 2016. In Indiana, about 438,000 acres of farmland are owned by foreign entities, representing 2.4% of Hoosier agricultural land. Of those hundreds of thousands of acres, nearly 80% is cropland, 16% is pasture and 3% is forestland.
This purchasing of farmland is deeply concerning as Indiana produced over $9 billion of corn and soybeans in 2023. We wanted to make sure that this does not become a national security or food security problem for our state. To help protect Indiana's farmland and food supply chain, individuals or entities associated with foreign adversaries like Russia and China will be banned from purchasing or leasing agricultural land, and mineral, water or riparian rights. China, Russia, North Korea and Iran will also be prevented from purchasing or leasing land within a 10-mile radius of military installations
By enacting this ban, Indiana's valuable assets, like our food supplies and water rights, will be out of reach for bad actors.
We also took action to help those who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Indiana's veteran suicide rate is higher than the national average. In 2021, nearly 140 Hoosier veterans died by suicide and over 6,000 died nationwide.
To help former and current service members who are battling a mental health crisis and go missing, a Green Alert will be issued similar to other public notification like Indiana's Amber Alert and Silver Alert to help first responders locate them. A Green Alert could be issued by the Indiana State Police for veterans, service members, Indiana National Guard members and reservists within 48 hours of the individual being reported missing. This program could save lives and provide more targeted mental health support resources.
I also voted in support of a new law to honor a different Hoosier hero: Indiana's many public safety officers. Often, firefighters, emergency medical service providers and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve our cities and towns. These men and women are the first ones on scene when a crisis arrives, and we need to honor those sacrifice themselves for others.
Indiana will recognize firefighters, emergency medical responders, law enforcement and other first responders who go above and beyond the call of duty through the creation of the Hoosier First Responder Medal of Honor. The award could also be presented to the families of first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice for our state. The award will provide first responders and their families much-deserved recognition.
These are just some of the many new laws that recently took effect. I encourage Hoosiers in House District 65 to reach out to me at h65@iga.in.gov or call 313-232-9600 with any questions about these changes or need help finding state resources.
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State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) represents House District 65,
which includes all of Lawrence County, and portions of Jackson, Orange and Washington counties.
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