I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1438 
To prohibit the purchase or lease of agricultural land in the United States 
by persons associated with certain foreign governments, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 18, 2025 
Mr. STRONG (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. NUNN of Iowa, 
Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. HIGGINS of Lou-
isiana, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, Mr. 
ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. ARRINGTON, Mr. MCGUIRE, and Mr. ADER-
HOLT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, 
and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit the purchase or lease of agricultural land in 
the United States by persons associated with certain 
foreign governments, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting America’s 
Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGRICULTURAL LAND.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘agricultural 
land’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 9 of the Agricultural Foreign Investment 
Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508). 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘agricultural 
land’’ includes land described in section 9(1) of 
the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure 
Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508(1)) that is used for 
ranching purposes. 
(2) COVERED PERSON.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered per-
son’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘person 
owned by, controlled by, or subject to the juris-
diction or direction of a foreign adversary’’ in 
section 7.2 of title 15, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
this Act), except that each reference to ‘‘foreign 
adversary’’ in that definition shall be deemed to 
be a reference to the Government of— 
(i) Iran; 
(ii) North Korea; 
(iii) the People’s Republic of China; or 
(iv) the Russian Federation. 
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(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘covered per-
son’’ does not include a United States citizen or 
an alien lawfully admitted for permanent resi-
dence to the United States. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(4) 
UNITED
STATES.—The 
term 
‘‘United 
States’’ includes any State, territory, or possession 
of the United States. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON PURCHASE OR LEASE OF AGRI-
CULTURAL LAND IN THE UNITED STATES BY 
PERSONS ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN FOR-
EIGN GOVERNMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, the President shall take such actions as may 
be necessary to prohibit the purchase or lease by covered 
persons of— 
(1) public agricultural land that is owned by the 
United States and administered by the head of any 
Federal department or agency, including the Sec-
retary, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Sec-
retary of Defense; or 
(2) private agricultural land located in the 
United States. 
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(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The President may exercise 
all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out subsection (a). 
(c) PENALTIES.—A person that knowingly violates, 
attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a viola-
tion of subsection (a) or any regulation, license, or order 
issued to carry out that subsection shall be subject to the 
penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 
206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
(50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that com-
mits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that 
section. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed— 
(1) to prohibit or otherwise affect the purchase 
or lease of public or private agricultural land de-
scribed in subsection (a) by any person other than 
a covered person; 
(2) to prohibit or otherwise affect the use of 
public or private agricultural land described in sub-
section (a) that is transferred to or acquired by a 
person other than a covered person from a covered 
person; or 
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(3) to require a covered person that owns or 
leases public or private agricultural land described in 
subsection (a) as of the date of enactment of this 
Act to sell that land. 
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON PARTICIPATION IN DEPARTMENT 
OF AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS BY PERSONS 
ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN FOREIGN GOV-
ERNMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), notwithstanding any other provision of the law, the 
President shall take such actions as may be necessary to 
prohibit participation in Department of Agriculture pro-
grams by covered persons that have full or partial owner-
ship of agricultural land in the United States or lease agri-
cultural land in the United States. 
(b) EXCLUSIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 
participation in any program— 
(1) relating to— 
(A) food inspection or any other food safe-
ty regulatory requirements; or 
(B) health and labor safety of individuals; 
or 
(2) administered by the Farm Service Agency, 
with respect to the administration of this Act or the 
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Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 
1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 
(c) PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.—To participate in a De-
partment of Agriculture program described in subsection 
(b) (except for a program under this Act or the Agricul-
tural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)), a person described in subparagraph 
(A) of section 2(2) that is a person described in subpara-
graph (B) of that section shall submit to the Secretary 
proof that the person is described in subparagraph (B) 
of that section. 
SEC. 5. AGRICULTURAL FOREIGN INVESTMENT DISCLO-
SURE. 
(a) INCLUSION
OF
SECURITY
INTERESTS
AND 
LEASES IN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 9 of the Agricultural 
Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 
U.S.C. 3508) is amended— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(4) 
through (6) as paragraphs (5) through (7), re-
spectively; and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) the term ‘interest’ includes— 
‘‘(A) a security interest; and 
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vision B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (7 
U.S.C. 3501 note; Public Law 118–42) human-readable 
and machine-readable data sets that— 
‘‘(1) contain all data that the Secretary pos-
sesses relating to reporting under this Act from each 
report submitted to the Secretary under section 2; 
and 
‘‘(2) as soon as practicable, but not later than 
30 days, after the date of receipt of any report 
under section 2, shall be updated with the data from 
that report. 
‘‘(b) INCLUDED DATA.—The data sets established 
under subsection (a) shall include— 
‘‘(1) a description of— 
‘‘(A) the purchase price paid for, or any 
other consideration given for, each interest in 
agricultural land for which a report is sub-
mitted under section 2; and 
‘‘(B) updated estimated values of each in-
terest in agricultural land described in subpara-
graph (A), as that information is made avail-
able to the Secretary, based on the most re-
cently assessed value of the agricultural land or 
another comparable method determined by the 
Secretary; and 
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‘‘(2) with respect to any agricultural land for 
which a report is submitted under section 2, updated 
descriptions of each foreign person who holds an in-
terest in at least 1 percent of the agricultural land, 
as that information is made available to the Sec-
retary, categorized as a majority owner or a minor-
ity owner that holds an interest in the agricultural 
land.’’. 
(d) DEFINITION OF FOREIGN PERSON.—Section 9(3) 
of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 
1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C)(ii)(IV), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) any person, other than an individual 
or a government, that issues equity securities 
that are primarily traded on a foreign securities 
exchange within— 
‘‘(i) Iran; 
‘‘(ii) North Korea; 
‘‘(iii) the People’s Republic of China; 
or 
‘‘(iv) the Russian Federation;’’. 
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SEC. 6. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT FROM THE SECRETARY ON FOREIGN 
OWNERSHIP OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE UNITED 
STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and once every 2 
years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report describing— 
(A) the risks and benefits, as determined 
by the Secretary, that are associated with for-
eign ownership or lease of agricultural land in 
rural areas (as defined in section 520 of the 
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490)); 
(B) the intended and unintended misrepre-
sentation of foreign land ownership in the an-
nual reports prepared by the Secretary describ-
ing foreign holdings of agricultural land due to 
inaccurate reporting of foreign holdings of agri-
cultural land; 
(C) the specific work that the Secretary 
has undertaken to monitor erroneous reporting 
required by the Agricultural Foreign Invest-
ment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.) that would result in a violation or civil 
penalty; and 
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(D) the role of State and local government 
authorities in tracking foreign ownership of ag-
ricultural land in the United States. 
(2) PROTECTION
OF
INFORMATION.—In car-
rying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall estab-
lish a plan to ensure the protection of personally 
identifiable information. 
(b) REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL IN-
TELLIGENCE
ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP
OF AGRICUL-
TURAL LAND IN THE UNITED STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and once every 2 
years thereafter, the Director of National Intel-
ligence shall submit to the congressional recipients 
described in paragraph (2) a report describing— 
(A) an analysis of foreign malign influence 
(as defined in section 119C(e) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3059(e))) by 
covered persons that have foreign ownership in 
the United States agriculture industry; and 
(B) the primary motives, as determined by 
the Director of National Intelligence, of foreign 
investors to acquire agricultural land. 
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(2) CONGRESSIONAL RECIPIENTS DESCRIBED.— 
The report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted 
to— 
(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs of the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate; 
(C) the Select Committee on Intelligence of 
the Senate; 
(D) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; 
(E) the Committee on Financial Services 
of the House of Representatives; 
(F) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives; 
(G) the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the House of Representatives; 
(H) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; 
(I) the majority leader of the Senate; 
(J) the minority leader of the Senate; 
(K) the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(L) the minority leader of the House of 
Representatives. 
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