Introduced Version
SENATE BILL No. 177
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 2-5-54.
Synopsis: Agrivoltaics task force. Establishes an agrivoltaics task
force (task force) to review issues related to agrivoltaics. Sets forth the
membership, and requires the task force to issue a report to the general
assembly and the governor not later than November 1, 2024.
Effective: July 1, 2024.
Yoder
January 9, 2024, read first time and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.
2024 IN 177—LS 6372/DI 150 Introduced
Second Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2024)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
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a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
SENATE BILL No. 177
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
general provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 2-5-54 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
2 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
3 1, 2024]:
4 Chapter 54. Agrivoltaics Task Force
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "agrivoltaic" means the dual
6 operation of a solar photovoltaic facility and agriculture on a single
7 piece of land.
8 Sec. 2. The agrivoltaics task force is established as a temporary
9 task force, which serves the general assembly.
10 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "task force" refers to the
11 agrivoltaics task force established by section 2 of this chapter.
12 Sec. 4. (a) The task force consists of the following nineteen (19)
13 voting members:
14 (1) Five (5) members of the senate, appointed as follows:
15 (A) Three (3) members appointed by the president pro
16 tempore.
17 (B) Two (2) members appointed by the minority leader of
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1 the senate.
2 (2) Five (5) members of the house of representatives,
3 appointed as follows:
4 (A) Three (3) members appointed by the speaker.
5 (B) Two (2) members appointed by the minority leader of
6 the house of representatives.
7 (3) One (1) officer or employee of the department of
8 environmental management, appointed by the governor.
9 (4) One (1) officer or employee of the department of natural
10 resources, appointed by the governor.
11 (5) One (1) officer or employee of the department of
12 agriculture, appointed by the governor.
13 (6) One (1) officer or employee of the office of energy
14 development, appointed by the governor.
15 (7) One (1) officer or employee of the Indiana Farm Bureau,
16 appointed by the governor.
17 (8) One (1) member who is a resident of Indiana and has
18 research experience from Purdue University's Institute for a
19 Sustainable Future, appointed by the governor.
20 (9) One (1) member who is a resident of Indiana and has
21 research experience from Indiana University's Environmental
22 Resilience Institute, appointed by the governor.
23 (10) One (1) member who is a resident of Indiana and has at
24 least ten (10) years of professional experience in electric utility
25 policy, appointed by the governor.
26 (11) One (1) member who is a representative from a farmer
27 member organization based in Indiana, appointed by the
28 governor.
29 (b) The president pro tempore shall designate one (1) of the
30 members appointed under subsection (a)(1)(A) as co-chair of the
31 task force.
32 (c) The speaker shall designate one (1) of the members
33 appointed under subsection (a)(2)(A) as co-chair of the task force.
34 (d) A member of the task force serves for the duration of the
35 task force. If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the appointing
36 authority that appointed the member whose position is vacant shall
37 appoint an individual to fill the vacancy.
38 (e) An individual appointed to fill a vacancy must have the
39 qualifications that a member appointed by the appointing
40 authority must have.
41 (f) An individual appointed to fill a vacancy serves for the
42 remainder of the term of the member the individual is appointed
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1 to succeed.
2 (g) Appointments to the task force under this section shall be
3 made not later than July 1, 2024.
4 Sec. 5. (a) Ten (10) members of the task force constitute a
5 quorum.
6 (b) The affirmative votes of a majority of the members
7 appointed to the task force are required for the task force to take
8 action on any measure, including final reports.
9 (c) The task force shall meet at the call of the co-chairs.
10 Sec. 6. All meetings of the task force shall be open to the public
11 in accordance with and subject to IC 5-14-1.5. All records of the
12 task force shall be subject to the requirements of IC 5-14-3.
13 Sec. 7. The task force shall do the following:
14 (1) Review available research and data on the effects of dual
15 operation of solar photovoltaic facilities and agriculture on
16 single pieces of land.
17 (2) Solicit and consider relevant stakeholder testimony
18 regarding agrivoltaic projects.
19 (3) Discuss policies and regulations to facilitate the
20 installation of agrivoltaic projects in Indiana, while
21 simultaneously considering the impact agrivoltaic has on:
22 (A) land use and categorizations;
23 (B) water quality;
24 (C) soil health; and
25 (D) food production.
26 (4) Review best practices for third party certification,
27 including the following:
28 (A) Consistent standards.
29 (B) Streamlined review.
30 (C) Quality control.
31 (D) Verification.
32 (5) Review best practices on carbon accounting and other
33 methods for quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions
34 sequestered with respect to agricultural land.
35 Sec. 8. The task force shall make recommendations based upon
36 the study conducted under section 7 of this chapter.
37 Sec. 9. The task force shall:
38 (1) issue a report setting forth the determinations and
39 recommendations it makes under this chapter; and
40 (2) not later than November 1, 2024, submit the report:
41 (A) in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6 to the
42 executive director of the legislative services agency for
2024 IN 177—LS 6372/DI 150 4
1 distribution to the members of the general assembly; and
2 (B) to the governor.
3 Sec. 10. The legislative services agency shall provide staff
4 support to the task force.
5 Sec. 11. (a) Each legislative member and each lay member of the
6 task force is entitled to receive the same per diem, mileage, and
7 travel allowances paid to individuals serving as legislative and lay
8 members, respectively, on an interim study committee established
9 by the legislative council.
10 (b) A member of the task force who is a state employee is not
11 entitled to a per diem. However, the member is entitled to receive
12 the same travel allowances paid to members of the task force
13 described in subsection (a).
14 Sec. 12. The task force's expenses, including the payment of per
15 diem, mileage, and travel allowances under section 11 of this
16 chapter, are payable from amounts appropriated to the legislative
17 council.
18 Sec. 13. This chapter expires December 31, 2024.
2024 IN 177—LS 6372/DI 150