Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025
Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025 - Summary **What the bill would do:** This bill would require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)—a government body that reviews foreign investments for national security concerns—to examine agricultural land purchases by foreign entities. Currently, CFIUS reviews foreign investments in businesses and certain critical infrastructure, but agricultural land transactions often fall outside their oversight. This bill would add a requirement for the Department of Agriculture to notify CFIUS about certain foreign purchases of farmland, and CFIUS would then decide whether each transaction poses a national security risk and needs further investigation. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects foreign investors (particularly from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, based on the bill's subject references) who want to buy agricultural land in the United States, and American farmers or landowners selling to foreign buyers.
The CFIUS committee and U.S. Department of Agriculture would also take on new responsibilities to review these transactions. **Current status:** The bill was introduced by Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. It has not progressed further in the legislative process.
CRS Official Summary
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 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. 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).
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.