News

New bill focuses on foreign ag land oversight

A U.S. Congressman from South Dakota says more transparency is needed to better understand how the U.S. government oversees foreign-owned farmland.

Dusty Johnson tells Brownfield a new bipartisan bill, called the Protect American Farmland and Rural Communities Act, would make investments in research to understand the impacts of foreign-owned land and require USDA to conduct an annual audit on foreign owned land and training to state and county officials.

“It really looks at all foreign ownership so we get a better understanding of how big an issue this is.”

The bill would also impose additional financial penalties for foreign investors and companies who don’t report their holdings to the U.S. government. Johnson is already a co-sponsor of several other foreign ag land bills and he says it’s important Congress has what they need to fully address the issue.

“It gives us an opportunity, especially working with the Senate, to determine a what a real, comprehensive solution looks like.”

Johnson says the new farm bill could still be a place to include language on foreign ag land ownership.

U.S. Congressman John Moolenaar from Michigan and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez are co-sponsors of the bill.