This bill creates a new system to review when foreign companies from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran try to buy agricultural land in the United States. Right now, the government has a committee called CFIUS that reviews foreign investments for national security concerns, but agricultural land purchases haven't been a major focus. This bill changes that by requiring the Department of Agriculture to flag any suspicious agricultural land deals, and then CFIUS must decide whether each one poses a security risk and needs a deeper investigation.

The bill also adds the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS's decision-making team when agricultural deals are being reviewed. This means the agriculture department will have a seat at the table alongside other national security officials when deciding whether to allow these foreign purchases. The goal is to prevent potentially hostile countries from gaining control over American farmland or agricultural businesses that handle things like food storage, transportation, and processing. In practical terms, if a company from one of these four countries wants to buy a farm or agricultural business in the U.S., it will now face additional government scrutiny to make sure it doesn't threaten American food security or national interests.

Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025

Marshall, Roger

Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025This bill makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including by requiring CFIUS to determine whether a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions that are referred by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (CFIUS oversees the national security risks of certain foreign investment in the United States. CFIUS has the authority to review covered transactions, which include&nbsp;mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business; certain investments in businesses involved in critical technologies, critical infrastructure, or sensitive personal data; and certain real estate transactions.)Specifically, the bill directs CFIUS to, after receiving notification from USDA, determine (1) whether a reportable agricultural land transaction is a covered transaction, and (2) whether CFIUS should initiate a national security review or take another action with respect to the transaction.&nbsp;Reportable agricultural land transaction means a transaction (1) that USDA has reason to believe is a covered transaction; (2) that involves the acquisition of an interest in agricultural land by a foreign person of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran; and (3) with respect to which a foreign person is required to submit a report to USDA regarding their agricultural land transactions.The bill also expands the membership of CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture for covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (e.g., agricultural transportation, storage, and processing).