STATEHOUSE — A bill authored by State Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) that bans foreign adversaries from owning land in Indiana was ceremonially signed into law by the governor today.
Senate Enrolled Act 256 prevents hostile countries like China and Iran from buying any land in Indiana. The law also requires agents from these foreign adversaries that threaten American interests to register with the Indiana Attorney General and fully disclose funding sources, expenditures, and political activities within the state.
The bill also:
- Removes foreign agents from critical higher education programs;
- Blocks state funding for any affiliates of foreign terror organizations; and
- Prohibits state or local governments from entering into sensitive technology contracts with businesses controlled by foreign adversaries.
SEA 256 builds on House Enrolled Act 1183 from 2024, which banned foreign adversaries from buying Hoosier farmland.
“Hoosiers work hard every day to make Indiana one of the best states in the country. We must do everything we can to protect our state from those that seek to harm it,” Koch said. “This legislation will help prevent our foreign adversaries from influencing our state. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure Indiana is safe and secure.”
Koch is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Utilities, ranking member of the Senate committees on Commerce and Technology and Judiciary, and a member of the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law. He represents Senate District 44, which includes Brown, Jackson, Lawrence, and Orange counties, and a portion of Monroe County.
