Bill · H.R. 1629· House(119-HR-1629)
Farmland Security Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/26/2025
- Last activity
- 2/26/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Sponsored by
- Marie Perez
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Farmland Security Act of 2025 aims to amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. It seeks to remove the current limitation on the amount of a civil penalty. The bill introduces specific penalties for foreign-owned shell corporations, defined as entities with no or nominal operations. It also mandates that the Secretary conduct annual compliance audits of submitted reports. Additionally, the Secretary is tasked with providing annual training to State and county-level personnel. Finally, the bill directs research into foreign agricultural leasing and ownership trends.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would farmers be better off under this?+6
The bill protects family farms and the domestic food supply by increasing oversight of foreign land ownership.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+5
The bill aims to protect the interests of rural communities from foreign-owned shell corporations.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill increases transparency regarding foreign ownership of agricultural land through required reports and audits.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Accountability for Shell Corporations: Under Section 2(a)(2), a civil penalty for a foreign-owned shell corporation can be determined by the Secretary to be 100 percent of the fair market value of the interest in agricultural land involved in the violation. This creates a significant financial consequence for entities with no or nominal operations.
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Compliance Opportunity for Entities: Per Section 2(a)(3), a shell corporation can avoid the civil penalty if they fix a defective filing or failure to file within 60 days after receiving notice from the Secretary.
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Improved Oversight through Audits: Section 2(b)(2) requires the Secretary to conduct an annual compliance audit of at least 10 percent of the reports submitted to ensure they are complete and accurate.
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Enhanced Local Knowledge: Section 2(b)(3) requires the Secretary to provide annual training to State and county-level personnel to help them identify agricultural land where reports are required but have not been submitted.
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Informed Policy through Research: Section 2(c)(2) directs the Secretary to research agricultural leasing activities by foreign persons, trends in land purchases by foreign-owned shell corporations, and foreign ownership of agricultural production capacity and economic activity.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- High Financial Penalties for Shell Corporations: Under Section 2(a)(2), a shell corporation may be hit with a penalty amounting to 100 percent of the fair market value of the interest in the agricultural land related to the violation.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+6Good For Rural Residents+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5Increases Federal Power+4Improves Due Process+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5Improves Public Land Management+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+3
- 3/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/26/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
John MoolenaarRepublican · Michigan