Commons’ Bill Clears Hurdle

The House Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development Committeeadvanced State Rep. Matt Commons’ (R-Williamsport) legislation to prohibit the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and state agencies from establishing offices in foreign adversarial countries.

The purpose of the IEDC is to drive economic development in the state and help businesses launch, grow and locate here. The agency currently has offices in Germany, Italy, UK and Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Israel and Taiwan. While over 200 foreign-owned businesses have located or expanded in Indiana since 2017, creating more than 30,000 jobs and over $18 billion in capital investment, Commons said the IEDC shouldn’t be courting economic opportunities from foreign adversaries like China.

“Attracting business from other countries is great for growing our economy and spreading the word about Indiana’s low-cost environment, but we need to be cautious about what companies we allow to plant roots here,” Commons said. “We have a responsibility to protect Hoosiers from foreign adversaries like China, a country controlled by its Communist government and which has been credibly accused of intellectual property theft and cyber espionage.”

House Bill 1103 would restrict the IEDC and all Indiana agencies from establishing trade offices in countries identified by the U.S. Department of Commerce as adversarial, which currently includes Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

Indiana has made other efforts to protect the state’s assets from China and other adversarial countries. A law passed last year banned individuals or entities associated with foreign adversaries, like China, from purchasing or leasing agricultural land, and mineral, water or riparian rights in the state. The Indiana Public Retirement System also divested over $1 billion in investments from Chinese government-controlled entities in 2024.

House Bill 1103 now heads to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration. To learn more and follow legislative proceedings, visit iga.in.gov.

Commons represents House District 13, which includes all of Benton and Warren counties, and portions of Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Tippecanoe and White counties.