Capitol Roundup is NC Farms Bureau’s weekly video and email report that summarizes key legislative developments and explains in clear terms how those developments affect agriculture.
Bell files foreign farmland ownership bill (March 25, 2023)
On Thursday, North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell filed HB 463, N.C. Farmland and Military Protection Act, to prohibit entities controlled by adversarial countries from purchasing agricultural land. The bill also includes property surrounding military bases. If passed and signed into law, it would become effective on January 1, 2024 and apply only to land acquired on and after that date. The bill was co-sponsored by many other House members including Speaker Tim Moore and House Democratic Leader Robert Reives.
Specifically, the bill:
- Prevents adversarial foreign governments from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding any interest in agricultural land or land situated within a 25-mile radius of a military base, military installation, or military airport, and it makes any transfer of an interest in land in violation of the law void.
- Applies to a state-controlled enterprise or the government of a foreign nation that has received a designation by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce that the entity has engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of United States citizens.
- Specifies that agricultural land is any land situated in this State that is used for agricultural production purposes as defined in G.S. 106-581.1(1) through (3).
“Food security is national security, and the bipartisan N.C. Farmland and Military Protection Act helps keep North Carolina’s significant agricultural output secure by preventing countries like China and Russia from acquiring our state’s farmland,” said N.C. Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding. “North Carolina Farm Bureau supports this legislation and is grateful to the House leaders who recognize the importance of this issue.”
Also this week, House Speaker Tim Moore announced that the first draft of a North Carolina state budget will be out next week. Our team will be on the lookout for any important agriculture-related provisions in the budget, along with any other important agricultural legislation that may be introduced. For more information about these bills or any others of interest, visit the North Carolina General Assembly website, www.ncleg.gov. Bills are searchable by bill number and subject.
For more information about these bills or any others of interest, visit the North Carolina General Assembly website, www.ncleg.gov. Bills are searchable by bill number and subject.