Bill gives president sweeping power to block land sales near federal property

What it does

This bill directs the President to prohibit purchases of private real estate adjacent to federal lands (national forests, military bases, Department of Energy sites, and Indian country) by agents of the Chinese government or by businesses in which China owns 25% or more equity. It applies across all U.S. territories and possessions.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a categorical prohibition on real estate purchases by Chinese state actors and China-controlled businesses adjacent to federal lands. It is framed as a national security measure, not a trade or economic policy, and applies uniformly across all covered federal property.

What the text implies

• The 25% equity threshold may capture U.S. companies with passive Chinese minority shareholders, creating compliance risk for American firms and potentially deterring legitimate foreign investment in non-sensitive sectors.
• The bill grants the President unilateral authority to define and enforce the prohibition without statutory criteria, judicial review, or congressional oversight of implementation — a significant delegation of power.
• Real estate markets adjacent to federal lands (particularly near military installations, national forests, and energy facilities) may experience price volatility or reduced liquidity if foreign buyers withdraw; local property owners may face reduced buyer pools.
• The definition of 'agent of the Government' is not statutory — it relies on executive interpretation, creating uncertainty about which entities and individuals fall within the scope.
• Indian country inclusion may create jurisdictional complexity, as tribal sovereignty and federal authority over Indian lands operate under distinct legal regimes; enforcement may conflict with tribal property rights or treaty obligations.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill protects U.S. national security and federal land integrity by blocking foreign state acquisition of strategic border properties — a legitimate public interest. However, the 25% equity threshold may sweep in U.S. companies with minority Chinese investment, potentially chilling legitimate foreign investment and creating compliance uncertainty for American businesses; the mechanism also grants the President broad discretionary authority without statutory guardrails or judicial review.

Named in the bill

People's Republic of China, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Forest Service), U.S. Department of Energy, President of the United States, Indian tribes

Where it stands

5 cosponsors: 5 Republicans.

• Feb 25, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 25, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $400,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 32 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Cynthia Lummis, the sponsor, reported $550,692 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Roofing Contractors Association — $400,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 21, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.