Sponsors (9)
Requires people and entities that are foreign to the United States to report any ownership interest of 1% or more in U.S. agricultural land, strengthens federal validation and enforcement of those reports, and directs USDA and related agencies to share data with national security reviewers, update procedures, and plan an electronic filing system. Agencies must update guidance, enter memoranda of understanding for information sharing (including with CFIUS), and meet several one-year and ten-year deadlines for implementation and reporting.
When more than one foreign person acquires or transfers any interest (other than a security interest) in agricultural land, the reporting requirements of Section 2 apply to each foreign person who holds at least a 1 percent interest in that land.
Minimum ownership rule: a foreign person is covered if they hold at least a 1 percent interest either (1) directly through the first tier of ownership, or (2) in the aggregate through interests in other entities across various tiers.
Section 4 of the Act is amended by replacing the section designation and inserting a new heading and subsection label: '4 Investigative actions' with subsection '(a) In general' beginning with the words 'The Secretary; and' (text as amended).
FPAC–BC (Farm Production and Conservation Business Center) must, as part of actions under subsection (a), take necessary actions to validate data collected under Section 2, including revising and validating information throughout the data collection process.
FPAC–BC must take actions necessary to ensure compliance with Section 2(g) (the new minimum ownership reporting rule).
Who is affected and how:
Farmers and agricultural landowners: Owners and operators of farmland will see greater transparency and potentially more administrative work. If foreign investors hold or suddenly cross the 1% threshold (directly or indirectly), owners or their agents must ensure AFIDA reports are filed and accurate. That could increase recordkeeping and disclosure obligations for land transactions, leases, and investment structures.
Foreign investors and foreign‑owned entities: Any foreign person with a 1% or greater ownership interest in U.S. agricultural land will be captured. This expands reporting to smaller holdings and to interests held indirectly through entities, trusts, or intermediaries. Noncompliance exposes those persons to investigation and possible civil penalties.
USDA / Farm Service Agency / FPAC–BC: These agencies must implement new validation and enforcement processes, revise handbooks, adopt GAO recommendations, develop memoranda of understanding for information sharing, and design an electronic filing system. Those duties require staff time, process changes, and IT planning—potential operational burdens even if no new appropriation is specified in the text.
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and national-security reviewers: Improved access to AFIDA data strengthens their ability to screen foreign investment in agricultural land for security risks. Faster and more complete data may speed identification of transactions warranting further review.
Real estate professionals, title companies, and attorneys: Increased reporting thresholds and broader definitions of ownership will likely require them to collect and forward more ownership information and to advise clients on compliance steps.
Privacy and data-protection stakeholders: Broader collection and interagency sharing of ownership information raises data‑management and privacy considerations. Agencies will need to secure records and manage access consistent with law.
Overall effect: The bill increases transparency about foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, strengthens enforcement and interagency coordination for national‑security review, and creates new operational requirements for USDA and partners. It imposes compliance steps on private owners and foreign investors and administrative and technical tasks on federal agencies.
Last progress June 5, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 5, 2025 by John Peter Ricketts
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Updated 1 week ago
Last progress July 14, 2025 (6 months ago)