Introduced Version
SENATE BILL No. 305
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 4-4-44.5.
Synopsis: Rural communities. Establishes the saving rural Indiana
program (program) for the purpose of building additional local capacity
allowing innovative communities to create solutions for challenges
facing rural Indiana. Establishes the saving rural Indiana matching
grant fund to carry out the purpose of the program.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Zay
January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture.
2025 IN 305—LS 7162/DI 134 Introduced
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
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Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
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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 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
SENATE BILL No. 305
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning state
offices and administration.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 4-4-44.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 44.5. Saving Rural Indiana Program
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "board" means the saving rural
6 Indiana program grant board established by section 16 of this
7 chapter.
8 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "eligible county" means a county
9 in Indiana with a population of less than one hundred thousand
10 (100,000).
11 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "fund" means the saving rural
12 Indiana matching grant fund established by section 11 of this
13 chapter.
14 Sec. 4. As used in this chapter, "local unit" means a county, city,
15 town, township, or school corporation.
16 Sec. 5. As used in this chapter, "office" means the office of
17 community and rural affairs established by IC 4-4-9.7-4.
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1 Sec. 6. As used in this chapter, "program" means the saving
2 rural Indiana program established by section 8 of this chapter.
3 Sec. 7. As used in this chapter, "strategic investment plan"
4 means a plan designed for an eligible county to carry out the
5 purpose of this chapter.
6 Sec. 8. The saving rural Indiana program is established for the
7 purpose of building additional local capacity allowing innovative
8 communities to create solutions for challenges facing rural Indiana
9 with a focus on the following:
10 (1) Housing.
11 (2) Child care.
12 (3) Downtown redevelopment.
13 (4) Broadband.
14 (5) Education.
15 (6) Workforce and talent development and recruitment.
16 (7) Amenity development (including riverfronts, trails, and
17 parks).
18 (8) Marketing and branding.
19 (9) Entertainment.
20 (10) Main street and small retail business support.
21 Sec. 9. The office shall administer the program.
22 Sec. 10. A strategic investment plan under this chapter must be
23 adopted by the participating eligible county and all local units
24 within the eligible county.
25 Sec. 11. (a) The saving rural Indiana matching grant fund is
26 established to carry out the purpose of the program.
27 (b) The office shall administer the fund.
28 (c) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from
29 money in the fund.
30 (d) The fund consists of the following:
31 (1) Two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) to be
32 reallocated from the Indiana economic development
33 corporation to the office.
34 (2) Money appropriated by the general assembly.
35 (3) Donations, gifts, and money received from any other
36 source, including transfers from other funds or accounts.
37 (e) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not
38 currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same
39 manner as other public money may be invested. Interest that
40 accrues from the investments shall be deposited in the fund.
41 (f) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not
42 revert to the state general fund.
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1 Sec. 12. An eligible county may apply to the office for a grant
2 from the fund to be used for the purpose of this chapter. The
3 application must:
4 (1) be in the form and manner prescribed by the office;
5 (2) be submitted by the date set by the office; and
6 (3) contain a strategic investment plan that has been approved
7 by the office and all local units within the eligible county and
8 their respective officers as described in section 10 of this
9 chapter.
10 Sec. 13. There shall be two (2) annual grant application cycles
11 each calendar year. The application deadline for the first grant
12 cycle shall be June 30 of each calendar year and the application
13 deadline for the second grant cycle shall be December 31 of each
14 calendar year. The office shall award grants and distribute the
15 corresponding grant funds not more than ninety (90) days after the
16 deadline of each respective grant cycle.
17 Sec. 14. An eligible county must contribute funds for the
18 implementation of the eligible county's strategic investment plan.
19 Sec. 15. An eligible county's application for a grant from the
20 fund must specify the amount of money that the eligible county is
21 committing to the implementation of the strategic investment plan.
22 Sec. 16. (a) The saving rural Indiana program grant board is
23 established as a continuing executive branch board.
24 (b) The purpose of the board is to:
25 (1) review grant applications for the program;
26 (2) approve or reject grant applications for the program; and
27 (3) report approvals, rejections, and recommendations to the
28 office.
29 (c) The board shall be made up of the following voting
30 members:
31 (1) An officer of the office, or the officer's designee, appointed
32 by the office.
33 (2) An officer of the Indiana economic development
34 corporation, or the officer's designee, appointed by the
35 Indiana economic development corporation board described
36 in IC 5-28-4.
37 (3) An officer of the Indiana destination development
38 corporation, or the officer's designee, appointed by the
39 Indiana destination development corporation board described
40 in IC 5-33-4.
41 A quorum consists of at least two (2) members. An affirmative vote
42 of at least two (2) members of the board is necessary to approve or
2025 IN 305—LS 7162/DI 134 4
1 reject an application under this chapter.
2 (d) The board shall meet as frequently as necessary during the
3 ninety (90) day period following a grant application deadline to
4 consider pending grant applications. The director of the office shall
5 call the meetings.
6 (e) The office shall staff the board.
7 (f) Each member of the board shall serve:
8 (1) for the duration of the member's position as an officer
9 within the office, the Indiana economic development
10 corporation, or the Indiana destination development
11 corporation, respectively; and
12 (2) at the will of the appointing authority.
13 (g) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by the appointing
14 authority of the member who vacated the board.
15 (h) The director of the office shall designate a member of the
16 board as chair of the board to serve:
17 (1) for the duration of the member's position as an officer
18 within the office, the Indiana economic development
19 corporation, or the Indiana destination development
20 corporation, respectively; and
21 (2) at the will of the appointing authority.
22 (i) A member of the board serves without compensation except
23 per diem as provided by law.
24 Sec. 17. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), if the board
25 approves a grant to an eligible county under this chapter, the office
26 shall award a grant from the fund to the eligible county in an
27 amount equal to the amount that the eligible county commits to the
28 strategic investment plan.
29 (b) If the amount of money requested for grants from the fund
30 exceeds the amount of money in the fund, the office shall
31 proportionately reduce the amount of each grant from the fund.
32 Sec. 18. An eligible county that receives annual matching funds
33 under this chapter shall hire an implementation leader to
34 implement the strategic investment plan. The implementation
35 leader may be one (1) of the following:
36 (1) An employee of a local economic or community
37 development nonprofit agency.
38 (2) An employee of an eligible county or local unit within the
39 eligible county.
40 (3) An independent contractor.
41 Sec. 19. Within two (2) years of a grant being awarded to an
42 eligible county under this chapter, the office shall provide to the
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1 eligible county a notice of completion form for the eligible county
2 to complete and submit to the office. Upon receipt and certification
3 of the completed form by the office, the office shall return the
4 certified form to the eligible county.
5 Sec. 20. (a) Within five (5) years of a grant being awarded to an
6 eligible county, the office shall provide to the eligible county an
7 impact statement form to the eligible county for the eligible county
8 to complete and submit to the office. Upon receipt and certification
9 of the completed form by the office, the office shall return the
10 certified form to the eligible county.
11 (b) The impact statement must include:
12 (1) private investment data with regard to the grant; and
13 (2) any other data the office deems necessary to measure the
14 impact or outcomes of the program.
15 Sec. 21. The office shall annually summarize all impact
16 statements received from eligible counties during the previous
17 calendar year and provide the summary to the budget board for
18 review.
2025 IN 305—LS 7162/DI 134