Sponsors (18)
The bill strengthens protections, transparency, and enforcement to keep U.S. agricultural land and USDA programs under domestic control and better inform policymakers, but it does so at the cost of greater reporting and compliance burdens, privacy and due-process risks, and potential reductions in foreign investment and land liquidity.
Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities gain stronger protection against acquisition or control of U.S. agricultural land by covered foreign actors, preserving domestic control of farmland.
Farmers and federal/state implementers get clearer rules because the bill narrows what counts as agricultural land and designates the Secretary of Agriculture as the lead administrator, reducing regulatory uncertainty and improving implementation consistency.
Rural landowners and the public gain more transparency about foreign ownership through searchable datasets (including purchase prices and broader reportable interests), improving local planning and public awareness.
Farmers, rural communities, and some landowners may see reduced foreign investment, lower asset liquidity, and downward pressure on land values because restrictions and reporting requirements deter or restrict investment from covered foreign actors.
Farmers, landowners, and USDA will face increased reporting, verification, and compliance burdens that can slow program delivery, raise costs, and require USDA to reallocate resources or seek more funding.
Public disclosure of detailed ownership and purchase-price data and unclassified reporting about investor motives risks privacy, competitive harm, stigmatization, or accidental disclosure of sensitive information about landowners.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits persons tied to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from buying/leasing U.S. agricultural land, restricts their USDA program participation, expands AFIDA reporting and penalties, and mandates federal reports.
Official title: To prohibit the purchase or lease of agricultural land in the United States by persons associated with certain foreign governments, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 18, 2025 by Dale Strong · Last progress February 18, 2025
Prohibits persons tied to four named foreign adversary countries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) from purchasing or leasing U.S. agricultural land and from participating in most USDA programs if they own or lease such land; expands reporting, public data, and penalties under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA); and requires periodic reports from USDA, the DNI, and GAO on risks, misreporting, and enforcement. The bill also directs use of IEEPA authorities to impose civil and criminal penalties for violations and mandates publication of AFIDA report data in human- and machine‑readable form with stronger enforcement tools (liens and higher penalty range).