119-hr4706

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4706 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4706

 To prohibit the acquisition and ownership of agricultural land and 
 residential real property by certain foreign entities, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 23, 2025

 Mrs. Miller of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Norman, Mr. 
 Gosar, Mr. Onder, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. 
 Tiffany, Mr. Harris of Maryland, Mr. Wied, Mr. Rulli, and Mr. Crane) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To prohibit the acquisition and ownership of agricultural land and 
 residential real property by certain foreign entities, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Our Farms and Homes from 
China Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Agricultural land.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``agricultural land'' 
 means--
            (i) land used for farming, ranching, or 
 timber production;
            (ii) land used for food processing; and
            (iii) land that--
            (I) is currently idle; and
            (II) was used within the previous 5 
 years for farming, ranching, or timber 
 production.
        (B) Related 

=== definitions. ===
-In subparagraph
        (A) :
            (i) Farming, ranching, or timber 
 production.--The term ``farming, ranching, or 
 timber production'' includes activities set 
 forth in the Standard Industrial Classification 
 Manual

    (1987) , Division A.
            (ii) Food processing.--The term ``food 
 processing'' includes activities set forth in 
 the Standard Industrial Classification Manual

    (1987) , Division D, Major Group 20.

    (2) Covered foreign entity.--The term ``covered foreign 
 entity'' means--
        (A) a corporation that is incorporated in the 
 People's Republic of China, including the Special 
 Administrative Regions of China, including Hong Kong 
 and Macau;
        (B) a person, business trust, business association, 
 company, institution, government agency, university, 
 partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or 
 any other individual or organization that can legally 
 enter into contracts, own properties, or pay taxes on 
 behalf of the Government of the People's Republic of 
 China;
            (C) an individual or organization affiliated with 
 the Chinese Communist Party;
            (D) an entity owned or controlled by, or that 
 performs activities on behalf of, an individual, 
 organization, or person described in subparagraph
        (A) ,
        (B) , or
            (C) ; and
        (E) an individual that is a member of the board of 
 directors, an executive officer, or a senior official 
 of a corporation or organization described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) ,
        (B) ,
            (C) , or
            (D) .

    (3) Noncompete agreement.--The term ``noncompete 
 agreement'' means an agreement entered into between an employer 
 and an employee that restricts that employee from performing, 
 after the employment relationship between the employer and the 
 employee terminates, any of the following:
        (A) Any work for another employer for a specified 
 period of time.
        (B) Any work in a specified geographical area.
            (C) Any work for another employer that is similar 
 to that employee's work for the employer that is a 
 party to that agreement.

    (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
 States of the United States.

    (6) Territory.--The term ``territory'' means--
        (A) the District of Columbia;
        (B) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
            (C) the United States Virgin Islands;
            (D) Guam;
        (E) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
 Islands; and
        (F) American Samoa.

    (7) United states agricultural land.--The term ``United 
 States agricultural land'' means agricultural land located in a 
 State or territory.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF ACQUISITION, LEASING, OR OWNERSHIP OF UNITED 
 STATES AGRICULTURAL LAND BY COVERED FOREIGN ENTITIES.

    (a) Prohibition of Acquisition of Agricultural Land.--It shall be 
unlawful for a covered foreign entity--

    (1) to acquire any interest in United States agricultural 
 land; or

    (2) to lease any interest in United States agricultural 
 land.

    (b) Divestment Requirement.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, a covered foreign entity that owns or 
 leases an interest in United States agricultural land shall 
 divest itself from any ownership or lease interests in United 
 States agricultural land.

    (2) Letters of intent.--Not later than 180 days after the 
 date of enactment of this Act, a covered foreign entity that 
 owns or leases an interest in United States agricultural land 
 shall sign a letter of intent to divest itself from any 
 ownership or lease interests in United States agricultural 
 land.
            (c) Penalty.--The Secretary shall fine a covered foreign entity 
that owns or leases an interest in United States agricultural land in 
violation of subsection

    (a) or

    (b) in an amount equal to $100 per acre 
per day that the covered entity owns or leases the interest in 
violation of subsection

    (a) or

    (b) .
            (d) Criminal Enforcement.--

    (1) Penalties.--A covered foreign entity that violates 
 subsection

    (a) or

    (b) shall be fined under title 18, United 
 States Code, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

    (2) Forfeiture.--
        (A) In general.--In an action brought by the 
 Attorney General, any United States agricultural land 
 owned in violation of subsection

    (a) or

    (b) shall be 
 subject to forfeiture to the United States in 
 accordance with chapter 46 of title 18, United States 
 Code.
        (B) Public auction of forfeited land.--
 Notwithstanding 

section 981

    (e) of title 18, United 
 States Code, the Attorney General shall sell through a 
 public auction any United States agricultural land that 
 is forfeited to the United States under this paragraph.

    (e) Nullification of Agreements.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, any noncompete agreement entered into between a 
covered foreign entity that owns or leases an interest in United States 
agricultural land and an employee of the covered foreign entity shall 
have no force or effect.

    (f) Implementation.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the 
 Attorney General, shall issue guidance and regulations to 
 implement this Act.

    (2) Office.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an office 
 within the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of--
        (A) monitoring compliance with this Act; and
        (B) imposing fines under subsection
            (c) .

    (g) Investigative Actions.--The Secretary may carry out such 
actions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to monitor 
compliance with this Act.

SEC. 4. TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON PURCHASING RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the 
 period--
        (A) beginning on the date of enactment of this Act; 
 and
        (B) ending on--
            (i) the date that is 2 years after the date 
 of enactment of this Act; or
            (ii) if the President makes an extension 
 under subsection

    (f) , the date on which the 
 extension expires under that subsection.

    (2) Residential real estate.--The term ``residential real 
 estate'' means--
        (A) a single-family home;
        (B) a unit in a condominium or a condominium;
            (C) a townhouse;
            (D) a unit in a cooperative or a cooperative;
        (E) a unit in a duplex or a duplex;
        (F) a unit in a triplex or a triplex;
        (G) a unit in a fourplex or a fourplex; and
        (H) a parcel of land that a local government has 
 zoned for development of a type of housing described in 
 this paragraph.

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Commerce.

    (b) Prohibition.--A covered foreign entity may not purchase a unit 
of residential real estate in the United States during the covered 
period.
            (c) Divestment Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, a covered foreign entity shall divest itself 
from any ownership of units of residential real estate in the United 
States.
            (d) Penalty.--With respect to each unit of residential real estate 
owned by a covered foreign entity in violation of subsection

    (b) or
            (c) , the Secretary shall fine the covered foreign entity in an amount 
equal to $1,000 for each day the covered foreign entity owns the unit 
of residential real estate in violation of either of those subsections.

    (e) Enforcement.--The Attorney General may enforce the provisions 
of this Act, including by seizing assets and seeking appropriate 
injunctive relief.

    (f) Presidential Extensions.--On the date that is 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
President may extend the covered period for an additional 2 years.

    (g) Implementation.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
 Attorney General, shall issue guidance and regulations for the 
 implementation of this Act.

    (2) Office.--The Secretary shall establish an office within 
 the Department of Commerce for the purpose of--
        (A) monitoring compliance with this Act; and
        (B) imposing fines under subsection
            (d) .

    (h) Report.--Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that details 
the impact of the prohibition under subsection

    (b) on the residential 
real estate market and housing affordability in the United States.
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