IndianaSB 249Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026)Senate

State chemist.

Sponsored By: Jean Leising (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Summary

Codifies animal food administrative rules. Defines or amends certain terms. Codifies certain requirements and processes for commercial feed and pet food with respect to: (1) label format; (2) label information; (3) express guarantees; (4) suitability; (5) ingredients; (6) directions for use and precautionary statements; (7) nonprotein nitrogen; (8) drug and feed additives; (9) adulterants; (10) good manufacturing practices; (11) payment of inspection fees; (12) interstate exclusion; and (13) commercial feed licenses.

agriculturethe houseagriculture and rural development

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

11 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.

Clearer ingredient lists for pet owners

Beginning July 1, 2026, pet food ingredient lists must use recognized or common names, ordered from most to least by weight. Ingredients must appear together in the same type size, without brand names or quality grades. Meat and meat byproducts must name their animal source, except those from cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, or combinations of them. Other ingredient claims must be truthful, and the ingredient must provide the claimed feature.

Clearer labels for commercial feed buyers

Indiana requires commercial feed names to match their use, and highlighted ingredients must have stated amounts. Most labels must list ingredients, nutrition guarantees, directions, warnings, the maker's address, and package quantity. Beginning July 1, 2026, guarantees follow set units and formats, alongside species-specific requirements for livestock and other animals. Medicated feed must identify its drugs and purpose; ingredients described as “iodized” need at least 0.007% evenly distributed iodine. Customer-formula feed is exempt from general labeling and section 26.7 requirements, but not expressly from section 26.6 guarantee requirements.

Limits on nitrogen substitutes in feed

Beginning July 1, 2026, specified nonprotein nitrogen ingredients can count as protein only in feed for ruminants, such as cattle. In other animals' feed, they can supply other nutrients, but their equivalent crude protein cannot exceed 1.25% of the daily ration. Those labels must identify the ingredients as sources of nutrients other than equivalent crude protein. Added nonprotein nitrogen above 8.75% equivalent crude protein, or supplying over one-third of total crude protein, triggers a warning. Labels must then give readable safe-use directions and say “CAUTION: USE AS DIRECTED.”

Pet nutrition claims need stronger support

Beginning July 1, 2026, pet food nutrition claims need recognized nutrient profiles, feeding tests, validated product-family procedures, or applicable scientific support. Limited-purpose claims must state their limits; comparisons with recognized nutrient profiles count as guarantees and require meeting those profiles. Dog and cat food generally needs a nutrition or purpose statement, except clearly marked snacks and treats. Complete-and-balanced foods need clear feeding frequency directions; dog and cat foods also need minimum amounts by animal weight. Veterinarian-directed products need qualifying wording, and “Use only as directed by your veterinarian” can replace dog or cat feeding directions.

Safer additives in animal feed

Beginning July 1, 2026, feed with drugs or listed additives needs understandable safe-use directions, precautions, and required federal label information. Special-diet and supplement feeds also need directions and precautions for safe, effective use. Officials can require evidence supporting the labeled safety and effectiveness or usefulness of affected commercial feed and pet food. The law accepts specified federal approvals, recognized safety status, and qualifying immune-product, microbial, or enzyme evidence. Pet food containing drugs must use medicated-feed labels, and artificial colors must be shown harmless; federally listed colors qualify only within federal limits.

Standard calorie labels for pet owners

Dog and cat food calorie statements remain optional unless another rule requires them. Statements must appear separately under “Calorie Content,” showing metabolizable energy in kilocalories per kilogram as sold; household measures are optional. Makers can use the modified Atwater formula or a recognized feeding test, and calculated values must say “calculated.” The formula is ME = 10[(3.5 × CP) + (8.5 × CF) + (3.5 × NFE)], using protein and fat percentage averages from at least four batches. CP means crude protein, CF means crude fat, and NFE equals 100 minus protein, fat, moisture, and ash percentages. Test-based values cannot differ from the formula value by more than 15%; comparisons must use the same method and not mislead. Makers must provide an affidavit and supporting results or summary data when the State Chemist requests them.

Stronger checks on feed nutrition claims

Indiana's State Chemist can request labels after complaints, testing problems, label violations, or applications from makers with unobserved labeling practices. Beginning July 1, 2026, feed makers must accurately label nutrition; customer-formula feed is exempt. When officials reasonably doubt nutritional suitability, makers have 30 days after written notice to provide scientific support. Missing that deadline allows officials to deem the feed adulterated and order its removal. Pet food businesses can request national model-standard label review by meeting model and federal requirements, paying required fees, and avoiding prohibited acts.

Indiana removes older feed rule requirements

Beginning July 1, 2026, Indiana voids feed rules 355 IAC 6-1 and 355 IAC 6-2 and requires their removal. The repeal provision expires July 1, 2027, but does not say the rules return. The law also removes a specified State Chemist duty to adopt medicated-feed manufacturing rules. Drug-containing feed remains adulterated when its manufacture, processing, or packaging fails current good manufacturing practice rules.

Pet food guarantees gain clearer limits

Beginning July 1, 2026, pet food nutrition guarantees must follow set formats and cannot use sliding ranges like “15–18%.” Mineral and vitamin supplements must guarantee minimum levels for all such nutrients supplied by sources listed in their ingredients. Protein, fat, and fiber guarantees can be omitted when those nutrients are not the product's purpose or are minor. Declared maximum moisture cannot exceed 78% or the ingredients' natural moisture, whichever is higher. That limit excludes products mainly consisting of stew, gravy, sauce, broth, aspic, juice, or milk replacer when labeled that way.

Some feed businesses get labeling exemptions

Beginning July 1, 2026, listed raw materials, including hay and raw meat, fall outside commercial-feed rules when unground and unmixed. Exclusions also cover listed chemicals, loose salt, and unmanipulated human-food processing byproducts with more than 90% moisture. Qualifying feeds can omit guarantees for nutrients they do not principally supply or claim. Feed for nonfood-producing animals can omit mineral guarantees when total mineral content is below 6.5%. Single-ingredient products not intended, represented, or defined for a specific animal class or species can omit that identification.

Weed seed safeguards for feed buyers

Beginning July 1, 2026, makers must grind and treat screenings and grain or seed byproducts containing weed seeds. Finished products can contain no viable prohibited noxious weed seeds, at most 50 restricted seeds per pound, and 100 other seeds per pound. Whole-seed wild-bird mixes can omit protein, fat, and fiber guarantees and instead list seed shares by weight. These mixes must warn buyers when weed seed exceeds 2.5% by weight.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Jean Leising

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Kendell Culp

    Republican • House

  • Mike Aylesworth

    Republican • House

  • Scott Alexander

    Republican • Senate

  • Susan Glick

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 142 • No: 0

House vote • 2/10/2026

Third reading: passed

Yes: 96 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/20/2026

Third reading: passed

Yes: 46 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor

    2/24/2026Senate
  2. Public Law 16

    2/24/2026Senate
  3. Signed by the President of the Senate

    2/19/2026Senate
  4. Signed by the Speaker

    2/18/2026House
  5. Signed by the President Pro Tempore

    2/12/2026Senate
  6. Returned to the Senate without amendments

    2/11/2026House
  7. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 231: yeas 96, nays 0

    2/10/2026House
  8. Second reading: ordered engrossed

    2/9/2026House
  9. Committee report: do pass, adopted

    2/5/2026House
  10. First reading: referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

    1/28/2026House
  11. Referred to the House

    1/22/2026Senate
  12. Cosponsor: Representative Aylesworth

    1/21/2026Senate
  13. House sponsor: Representative Culp

    1/21/2026Senate
  14. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 40: yeas 46, nays 0

    1/20/2026Senate
  15. Second reading: amended, ordered engrossed

    1/15/2026Senate
  16. Amendment #1 (Leising) prevailed; voice vote

    1/15/2026Senate
  17. Senator Alexander added as third author

    1/15/2026Senate
  18. Senator Glick added as second author

    1/15/2026Senate
  19. Committee report: do pass, adopted

    1/13/2026Senate
  20. First reading: referred to Committee on Agriculture

    1/8/2026Senate
  21. Authored by Senator Leising

    1/8/2026Senate

Bill Text

  • Engrossed Senate Bill (H)

  • Enrolled Senate Bill (S)

  • Introduced Senate Bill (S)

  • Senate Bill (S)

Related Bills

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