Congress expands foreign land surveillance, targets China and Russia farm purchases
S. 1012 — SOIL Act of 2025 · Filed by James Lankford (R-OK) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 12, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands federal oversight of foreign land purchases in the United States by requiring Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) review of agricultural land acquisitions and real estate near military bases by nationals of countries deemed national security risks or nonmarket economies (primarily China and Russia). It also prohibits federal agricultural subsidies to farms with foreign ownership from these countries, expands disclosure requirements for all foreign agricultural land holdings regardless of acreage, and mandates annual public reports on foreign agricultural land ownership by state and county.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is expanding CFIUS review authority and disclosure requirements for foreign agricultural land ownership, framed as a national security measure targeting nonmarket economies and countries identified as security threats. The operative provisions are straightforward restrictions on foreign acquisition and subsidy eligibility, not hidden carve-outs.
What the text implies
- The subsidy prohibition (Section 4) may create pressure for foreign-owned farms to divest U.S. holdings, potentially disrupting agricultural supply chains and raising commodity prices if significant acreage is affected.
- The 50-mile military installation buffer (Section 3) is geographically broad and may capture substantial agricultural land in rural areas near bases, potentially affecting legitimate foreign investment in non-sensitive farmland.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill strengthens transparency and national security oversight of foreign land ownership, which benefits citizens by preventing potential adversarial control of critical agricultural and military-adjacent land. However, the subsidy prohibition may indirectly raise food prices or reduce agricultural productivity if foreign-owned farms are forced to divest, and the disclosure regime creates privacy costs for foreign nationals and potentially their U.S.