INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana lawmakers have approved a bill that would create a committee to study how farmland can be preserved in the state.

House Bill 1132 passed the Senate unanimously.

The bill calls for creating a Land Use Task Force. The 13-member panel would include representatives from both General Assembly chambers, industry leaders and other key stakeholders.

The task force would investigate how Indiana is growing and how communities can balance business attraction and expansion with farmland preservation.

HB 1132 now heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk for his review. The governor also has another farm bill bill on his desk. House Bill 1557 calls on state agriculture officials to survey the amount of farmland lost from 2010 to last year and the causes of those losses.

Should Governor Holcomb sign both bills, the task force would use the HB 1557 study in determining its recommendations.