STATEHOUSE (July 2, 2024) – As summer kicks off in Indiana, State Reps. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) and Sharon Negele (R-Attica) want Hoosiers to know about a wide range of new state laws that took effect this week.
Culp said most new laws passed during the 2024 legislative session took effect July 1, including protecting Hoosier farmland. 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.
"With agriculture being a major revenue source for the state of Indiana, it is important we make sure our valuable land is not getting in the wrong hands," said Culp, who authored the new law. "Preventing foreign adversaries from purchasing our farmland is just another step Indiana is taking to ensure our food security."
Negele said lawmakers took action on a wide range of hot-button issues this year like preventing breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, women with dense breast tissue can be at higher risk for breast cancer and it can be harder to detect. To spread awareness, women with dense breast tissue will be informed of their breast density after a mammogram and receive documentation with more information.
"Creating awareness and opportunities for Hoosier women to learn about their breast tissue can save lives," said Negele, who authored the new law. "Early detection is key to tackling breast cancer and with more women learning their tissue type and the associated risks, Indiana is ensuring they have the information they need when considering options for screenings and prevention."
Local lawmakers also highlighted the following new laws:
Expanding Work-Based Learning
More Hoosier high school students can apply for a Career Scholarship Account to pursue internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities. The $5,000 scholarship covers certain expenses like training, career coaching, driver's education, certification and credentialing exams. Visit in.gov/tos/csa or call 317-232-0723 for more information.
Safeguarding Hoosiers Online
In cases around the country, artificial intelligence or AI has been used to create pornography by using a real person's image without their consent. To protect victims, who are most often women, Indiana's revenge porn statute will be expanded to include images that are generated or altered with AI, and a perpetrator could face criminal penalties for creating or distributing this type of content.
Visit iga.in.gov to learn more about these and other new state laws.
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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.
State Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) 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.
