ATLANTA — The Georgia House has passed a measure prohibiting the purchase of agricultural land in Georgia by a person who is not a U.S. citizen or legal resident or an agent of a foreign government designated as a foreign adversary.
Senate Bill 420 returns to the Senate for final passage before heading to Gov. Brian Kemp for consideration.
“I represent Henry County, which holds the second largest amount of farmland that has been bought by Chinese entities in the State of Georgia, and constituents of mine of all backgrounds and both political parties have made it abundantly clear that they are sick and tired of foreign adversaries buying up our farmland and over developing our communities,” State Representative Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, said in a statement. “I appreciate the authors of the bill and our Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper for his support of this legislation that aims to secure our food source. I was proud to vote for this measure, and I am excited to see this bill pass as we continue to work toward protecting Georgia’s agricultural land throughout the state and support our number one industry.”
Additionally, Senate Bill 420 would restrict these individuals from purchasing agricultural land within a 10-mile radius of a military installation.
Under the legislation, any agricultural land acquired by a nonresident alien through inheritance would be disposed of within one year of acquisition. Violations would be considered a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $15,000 and imprisonment between one and two years.