The banking industry traditionally has been strictly regulated on both the national and state levels. Bankers face constant pressure for a continued role in their day-to-day operations by legislative and regulatory bodies. A program of interrelated government relations activities is one of the important services of the Indiana Bankers Association, including:

•  CapWiz is an IBA legislative action center that presents issue briefs and summaries of current legislation.

• IBA Member Input...The root of the Indiana Bankers Association success in government relations lies with input from the member community. One source of input is The Government Relations Committee. This committee consists of banker volunteers appointed by the IBA chairman and charged with providing direction to the IBA government relations staff.  Another excellent source is the Key Contact Banker Program. This program maintains lines of communication between bankers and the elected representatives to Congress and the Indiana General Assembly to help accomplish an important mission of all bankers, "keeping government officials informed and educated about changes in the industry and about the impact of various legislative and regulatory proposals on bank operations".

• Indiana BANKPAC... Indiana BANKPAC is the political action committee of the IBA. It receives contributions from individual bankers, banks and bank political action committees, and then allocates financial assistance to campaign committees for specific candidates, as well as to political committees. The funds are used to support candidates for both state and federal office who generally understand and support a positive business environment for the conduct of banking activity.

• Compliance Issues - The IBA offers assistance to financial institutions with general compliance questions by doing research or a providing a referral to a law firm if the question requires legal advice. The IBA provides e-mail and fax updates on regulatory issues to keep bankers aware of current issues.

• IBA Involvement - State Government ...The IBA is the banking industry's voice in the Indiana General Assembly. Year after year, the IBA advocates the importance of Indiana's banking industry in our communities and in our economy by initiating, negotiating and lobbying for the enactment of positive banking laws and regulations and by opposing and defeating measures that would hurt the banking community and its customers.The IBA also hosts an annual Legislative Reception during the state legislative session to honor of the members of the Indiana General Assembly and other state dignitaries. This event allows bankers to discuss the issues of the day with their elected representatives in an informal atmosphere.

• IBA Involvement - Federal Government...The IBA works closely with Indiana's 11 federal delegates and their staffs in Washington, DC, and participates regularly in Washington fly-ins, such as the IBA Annual Washington Trip, to meet with congressional leaders, other lawmakers and federal agency heads concerning important industry issues. The IBA works with federal regulators by discussing industry issues and by submitting comment letters on current regulatory issues under review by their agencies. The IBA also works with the American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers  of America to stay informed about current legislative matters.