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SOIL Act of 2025
4/3/2025, 1:23 PM
Summary of Bill S 1012
Under this legislation, the Secretary of Agriculture would be required to establish a national database to track foreign ownership of agricultural land. This database would provide transparency and allow for better oversight of foreign investments in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the bill would mandate that foreign investors report their acquisitions of agricultural land to the Secretary of Agriculture, ensuring that these transactions are properly documented and monitored.
Furthermore, the bill includes provisions to safeguard against potential threats to national security posed by foreign ownership of agricultural land. It requires the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review certain transactions involving foreign investment in agricultural land to assess any potential risks to national security. This increased scrutiny aims to protect American interests and prevent any exploitation of the agricultural sector by foreign entities. Overall, Bill 119 s 1012 seeks to strengthen oversight of foreign direct investment in agricultural land in the United States to ensure that such investments are conducted in a transparent and responsible manner. By enhancing monitoring and regulation of foreign ownership of American farmland, the bill aims to protect food security, national security, and the environment while promoting the interests of American farmers and consumers.
Congressional Summary of S 1012
Security and Oversight for International Landholdings Act of 2025 or the SOIL Act of 2025
This bill establishes and expands requirements for reviewing and disclosing transactions regarding foreign investments in agricultural land.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) must review certain investments in agricultural land held by a person (i.e., individual or entity) that is a national of, or subject to the jurisdiction of, a country (1) designated as a nonmarket economy, or (2) identified as posing a risk to the national security of the United States. Under current law, CFIUS reviews the national security implications of certain foreign investments in U.S. businesses or real estate, including critical infrastructure or technologies.
CFIUS must also review certain real estate acquisitions or transfers of an interest, other than a security, for nonresidential properties that are located within 50 miles of a military installation.
The bill also prohibits federal assistance, including subsidies, from being provided to a person for an agricultural real estate holding which is owned by any of the foreign persons specified above.
The bill requires any foreign person who enters into a leasing agreement for agricultural land that is longer than five years to report the lease to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Current requirements only apply to agriculture land acquired or transferred.
Further, USDA must prepare and make publicly available an annual report describing agricultural land holdings by foreign persons, including specific information related to foreign persons from China and Russia.
