H.R. 1629: Farmland Security Act of 2025

Introduced Feb 26, 20252 cosponsors

Sponsor

Marie Perez

Democrat · WA-3

Bill Progress

IntroducedFeb 26

Committee

Pass House

Pass Senate

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Feb 26, 2025

1/2

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Congress targets hidden foreign farmland deals

Why it matters

Lawmakers are responding now to growing concern about foreign control of U.S. agricultural land by tightening disclosure rules, requiring audits, and funding new federal oversight starting in fiscal year 2025.

The Farmland Security Act of 2025 is built around a simple idea: if foreign interests own or lease U.S. agricultural land, the federal government wants clearer, more enforceable disclosure. The bill especially targets foreign-owned shell corporations, which it defines broadly as any corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, trust, estate, or other legal entity that has no or only nominal operations. That definition matters because it captures entities that may exist mostly on paper.

The toughest change is the new civil penalty. If a foreign-owned shell corporation violates the disclosure rules, it can be fined 100 percent of the fair market value of its interest in the agricultural land involved, measured on the date the penalty is assessed. That is effectively a full-value penalty. There is one off-ramp: if the shell corporation fixes a defective filing or files what it should have filed within 60 days after receiving notice from the Secretary of Agriculture, it avoids that civil penalty.

What does H.R. 1629 do?

100% land-value penalty for shell companies

A foreign-owned shell corporation that violates the disclosure rules can face a civil penalty equal to 100 percent of the fair market value of its interest in the agricultural land, calculated on the date the penalty is assessed.

60-day cure period avoids penalty

A shell corporation does not have to pay that civil penalty if it fixes a defective filing or submits a missing filing within 60 days after receiving notice from the Secretary of Agriculture.

Shell corporation defined very broadly

The bill defines a 'shell corporation' as a corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, trust, estate, or any other legal entity with no or only nominal operations, making it harder to hide farmland ownership behind lightly active entities.

USDA must audit at least 10% yearly

The Secretary of Agriculture must conduct an annual compliance audit of at least 10 percent of reports filed under section 2 of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, and may consult with heads of other Federal agencies during those audits.

First Congress report due in 180 days

The first required report to Congress must be submitted not later than 180 days after enactment, and additional reports must be submitted annually on foreign leasing, shell-company purchases, agricultural production capacity, and foreign participation in U.S. agricultural economic activity.

$2 million a year through 2030

The bill authorizes $2,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2025 through 2030 to support the new disclosure enforcement, audits, training, and research duties assigned to the Secretary of Agriculture.

Who benefits from H.R. 1629?

Family farms

The bill requires federal research on foreign leasing activities and specifically their impacts on family farms, while stronger disclosure rules and a 100 percent fair-market-value penalty could deter hidden foreign control of nearby agricultural land.

Rural communities

Rural communities benefit from annual federal research into how foreign agricultural leasing affects local economies and from annual training for State and county-level personnel to spot land where required foreign ownership reports were never filed.

USDA and federal investigators

The Secretary of Agriculture gets clearer tools: mandatory annual audits of at least 10 percent of reports, authority to consult other federal agencies, and $2,000,000 per fiscal year from 2025 through 2030.

Domestic food supply stakeholders

The bill orders research into how foreign leasing affects the domestic food supply and into foreign ownership of agricultural production capacity in the United States, which could give policymakers and producers better data for future action.

Who is affected by H.R. 1629?

Foreign persons owning or leasing U.S. agricultural land

They face tighter scrutiny because USDA would conduct annual audits of at least 10 percent of filed reports and train State and county personnel each year to identify land tied to missing reports.

Foreign-owned shell corporations

These entities are the main target of the bill. If they violate the filing rules, they can be fined 100 percent of the fair market value of their land interest unless they cure the problem within 60 days after notice from the Secretary.

State and county-level agricultural personnel

They would receive annual training from the Secretary of Agriculture on how to identify agricultural land where a required report from a foreign person has not been submitted.

Congress

Congress would receive a first report within 180 days after enactment and annual updates after that covering foreign leasing, shell-corporation purchase trends, agricultural production capacity, and foreign participation in U.S. agricultural economic activity.

H.R. 1629 Common Questions

How much is the penalty for a foreign-owned shell company that hides U.S. farmland ownership?

Under the Farmland Security Act of 2025, the civil penalty can equal 100% of the fair market value of the company’s interest in the agricultural land, measured when the penalty is assessed (Section 2(a)(3)).

Can a foreign-owned shell corporation avoid the farmland disclosure penalty by filing late?

Yes. Under the Farmland Security Act of 2025, a shell corporation avoids the civil penalty if it fixes a defective filing or submits a missing one within 60 days after notice from the Secretary (Section 2(a)(3)).

How much money does the Farmland Security Act of 2025 provide each year?

The bill authorizes $2,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2025 through 2030, according to HR1629 Section 2(d).

How many foreign farmland reports must USDA audit each year under HR1629?

USDA must audit at least 10% of reports submitted under section 2 of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, under the Farmland Security Act of 2025 (Section 2(b)(2)).

When is the first foreign farmland report to Congress due under the Farmland Security Act of 2025?

The first report is due no later than 180 days after enactment, with annual reports after that, according to HR1629 Section 2(c)(2).

What counts as a shell corporation under the Farmland Security Act of 2025?

Under the Farmland Security Act of 2025, a shell corporation includes corporations, partnerships, trusts, estates, and other legal entities with no or only nominal operations (Section 2(a)(3)).

Does the Farmland Security Act require USDA to train local officials to spot unreported foreign-owned farmland?

Yes. HR1629 requires annual training for State and county-level personnel to identify agricultural land where a required report by a foreign person was not submitted (Section 2(b)(2)).

What are the required topics in the foreign farmland report to Congress under HR1629?

According to HR1629 Section 2(c)(2), reports must cover foreign leasing of U.S. agricultural land, shell-company purchase trends, foreign ownership of production capacity, and foreign participation in U.S. agricultural economic activity.

Does the Farmland Security Act require research on impacts to family farms and rural communities?

Yes. Under the Farmland Security Act of 2025, the Secretary must study foreign leasing impacts on family farms, rural communities, and the domestic food supply (Section 2(c)(2)).

Can USDA work with other federal agencies when auditing foreign farmland disclosures?

Yes. Under the Farmland Security Act of 2025, the Secretary of Agriculture may consult with heads of other federal agencies during compliance audits (Section 2(b)(2)).

Based on H.R. 1629 bill text

Cost & Funding

Authorization: $2,000,000 for each fiscal year

—Authorized for fiscal years 2025 through 2030.
—Funding supports audits, training, research, and reporting by the Secretary of Agriculture.
—The bill does not specify a higher or lower amount beyond the fixed $2,000,000 annual authorization.

HR1629 Legislative Journey

1 actions

House: Committee Action

Feb 26, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

About the Sponsor

Marie Perez

Democrat, Washington's 3rd congressional district · 3 years in Congress

Committees: Appropriations

View full profile →

Cosponsors (2)

No new cosponsors in 408 days — momentum stalled

All 2 cosponsors are Republicans. Cosponsors represent 2 states: Michigan, Pennsylvania.

2Republicans·2 states

John Moolenaar

Republican · MI

Brian Fitzpatrick

Republican · PA

Committee Sponsors

Agriculture Committee

25D28R

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H.R. 1629 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

Committee: Agriculture
Chamber: House
Policy: Agriculture and Food
Introduced: Feb 26, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Feb 26, 2025

Constituent Resources

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Get notified when this bill moves

Official Sources

H.R. 1629 on Congress.gov

Official congressional page for the Farmland Security Act of 2025, with bill text, actions, and status.

USDA Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land

USDA’s AFIDA page is the core official program source for foreign ownership disclosure requirements that this bill strengthens.

Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 in U.S. Code

Official U.S. Code location for the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act provisions amended by the bill, including 7 U.S.C. 3501 through 3505.

USDA Farm Service Agency

The Farm Service Agency administers USDA farmland reporting functions and is the most relevant agency home for implementation details.

National Agricultural Statistics Service Census of Agriculture

Official USDA data source relevant to the bill’s required research on family farms, rural communities, and agricultural ownership patterns.

USDA Economic Research Service

USDA’s research arm provides official analysis relevant to the bill’s mandated studies on domestic food supply and agricultural economic activity.

Government Publishing Office GovInfo

GovInfo provides official federal legislative and legal documents, useful for the enrolled text and related statutory materials for this bill.

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimates

Official CBO page where any cost estimate for H.R. 1629 would appear if the bill receives one.

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H.R. 1629 Bill Text

PDF

“To amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to remove the limitation on the amount of a civil penalty, and for other purposes.”

Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office