# What This Bill Does

This bill aims to prevent people and companies connected to Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia from buying or leasing farmland in the United States. It's designed to protect American agricultural land from what lawmakers see as potential threats from these foreign governments.

The bill creates a broad definition of who's blocked from owning farmland. It targets not just government officials, but also companies owned or controlled by these governments, and even foreign companies whose stock trades primarily on exchanges in these four countries. However, U.S. citizens and people who are permanent residents can still buy farmland freely. If someone violates this ban, they face serious penalties including fines and potential criminal charges.

Beyond just blocking purchases, the bill also prevents these foreign entities from participating in most U.S. Department of Agriculture programs—things like crop insurance, subsidies, and other farm support programs. There are narrow exceptions for food safety inspections and health and safety programs. The bill also requires the government to create a public database showing who owns what farmland in America, updated regularly so citizens can see foreign ownership patterns.

The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to report to Congress every two years about foreign land ownership risks, and it asks the intelligence community to assess whether foreign investors in American agriculture pose national security threats. It also increases penalties for people who fail to properly report foreign land ownership, raising fines from a maximum of 25 percent of the land's value to between 15 and 30 percent, and adds the ability to place liens on farmland until penalties are paid.

Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023

Strong, Dale W.

Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023 This bill prohibits persons associated with the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States. Specifically, the President must prohibit any person (individual or entity) owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of these foreign governments from purchasing or leasing (1) public agricultural land that is owned by the United States and administered by a federal department or agency, or (2) private agricultural land that is located in the United States. A person that violates or attempts to violate this prohibition is subject to civil and criminal penalties. This prohibition does not require a person that owns or leases agricultural land as of the date of this bill's enactment to sell that land. Further, the President must prohibit a person associated with these foreign governments and who leases, or who has full or partial ownership of, agricultural land in the United States from participating in Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Exceptions are included to allow for participation in USDA programs related to food safety, the health and labor safety of individuals, or certain reporting and disclosure requirements. The restrictions established by the bill do not apply to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The bill also amends the agriculture foreign investment disclosure reporting requirements to include reporting on security interests and leases. Finally, USDA must submit a report every two years on foreign ownership of agriculture land in the United States.