Sponsors (14)
The bill strengthens federal review and targeted protections to defend U.S. food security and agricultural R&D, but does so at the cost of slower, costlier foreign investment, greater regulatory discretion, and some operational and information-risk trade-offs.
Farmers, producers, and agricultural supply-chain firms will gain stronger federal review and oversight (including CFIUS involvement and Agriculture Department input) to identify and block foreign takeovers that could threaten domestic food security.
State and local governments, rural communities, and farm businesses will get clearer, targeted information (GAO/USDA findings plus the critical-infrastructure designation) to prioritize protections and strengthen resilience of rural food infrastructure and input networks.
Farmers, agribusinesses, and researchers will gain clearer insight into which foreign investments and espionage techniques pose risks, helping them manage risk and better protect agricultural IP and R&D.
Farmers and small agribusinesses may face longer review times, higher compliance costs, and new restrictions that can slow transactions and reduce available foreign capital for expansion or modernization.
Broadly designating agricultural systems as 'critical infrastructure' could give regulators wide discretion, creating investor uncertainty and raising financing costs for some farms and agribusinesses.
USDA and GAO will need to devote staff time and resources to reporting and analysis, which could divert capacity from other programs or services without guaranteeing immediate mitigation for affected communities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 22, 2025 by Thomas Hawley Tuberville · Last progress January 22, 2025
Adds U.S. agriculture and agricultural supply chains to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review authorities, names the Secretary of Agriculture as a Committee representative, and clarifies that foreign transactions affecting agricultural businesses can be reviewed even if proposed, pending, or completed on or after enactment. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Government Accountability Office to each complete an analysis and report to Congress within one year on foreign investment, threats to production and supply chains, major international risks, and agriculture-related espionage and theft techniques.