Exhibit 99.1

                   River Valley Bancorp Announces Stock Split
                        and Increased Quarterly Dividend



For Immediate Release
Tuesday, December 9, 2003


Contact:  Matthew P. Forrester - President, CEO
          River Valley Bancorp
          (812) 273-4949



Madison,  Indiana -- River Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ Small Cap Symbol  "RIVR"),  an
Indiana  corporation  (the  "Corporation")  and holding company for River Valley
Financial Bank, based in Madison, Indiana announced today that it has declared a
2 for 1 stock split,  under which every share of its Common Stock outstanding at
the close of business on December 26, 2003 will be converted  into two shares of
Common Stock. The additional certificates payable to shareholders as a result of
the split are expected to be sent to them on or before January 9, 2004.  Matthew
P. Forrester,  President of River Valley Bancorp,  stated that: "During the past
year our stock has  performed  very well.  The closing price on December 8, 2003
was $48.00 per share  compared  to $30.49 per share on  December  31,  2002.  We
believe  the stock  split,  which will result in the  issuance of  approximately
820,000 new shares, will help create a more liquid market for our stock."

Also announced today, River Valley Bancorp has declared a cash dividend of $0.17
per share of its Common Stock for the quarter  ending  December  31, 2003.  This
dividend represents a 13.3% increase from the previous quarter's effective split
rate. The annualized rate on the newly split stock will be $0.68 per share.

The dividend record date will coincide with the stock split date of December 26,
2003 and will be  payable  on January 9,  2004.  This  dividend  represents  the
twenty-seventh consecutive dividend paid by the Corporation.

River Valley  Bancorp/River  Valley Financial Bank is based in Madison,  Indiana
and has six locations in the Madison,  Hanover, and Charlestown Indiana area and
a seventh location opening in Carrollton, Ky in February 2004.