Protect America’s Lands Act

This bill would ban U.S. stock exchanges from processing trades in shares of “natural asset companies.” These are companies that hold rights to the health and benefits of a specific area of land and manage it for conservation, restoration, or sustainable use. The goal of these companies is to maintain or grow the value of natural resources and ecosystem services, or to operate without harming those resources while replenishing what they use. The ban also covers any parent or affiliate of such a company (under common control).

Key points

• Who is affected: National securities exchanges, investors, and companies set up to manage and profit from natural assets and ecosystem services (and their affiliates).
• What changes: Exchanges would be prohibited from effecting transactions in securities issued by these companies, meaning their stocks could not be traded on U.S. exchanges.
• When: This would take effect by amending the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 if the bill becomes law.

Short title: Protect America’s Lands Act.