Sen. Jason Anavitarte Celebrates Final Passage of Legislation to Ban Foreign Ownership of Georgia Agricultural Land:
Legislation aimed at safeguarding Georgia’s agricultural interests, food supply and national security has been forwarded to Governor Brian P. Kemp for signage into law. Sponsored by Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas), Senate Bill 420 aims to prohibit perilous foreign adversaries from owning agricultural land or land within a 10-mile radius of a military base, installation, or airport in Georgia.
Senator Anavitarte, reflecting on the passage of this pivotal legislation, stated, “the Chinese government essentially validated our longstanding suspicions of their willingness to undermine our national security, as evidenced by their deployment of spy balloons over military installations just last year. I take great pride in authoring this legislation, and I am confident that it will shield all Georgians while prioritizing homeland security.”
SB 420, was crafted in response to a 2021 Department of Agriculture report revealing that China possessed 384,000 acres of American agricultural land, marking a 30% surge from 2019 to 2020. An illustrative instance of China’s strategic land acquisition emerged in 2022 when Fufeng Group, a Chinese entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party, sought to purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. Apart from jeopardizing economic stability and overall security at both state and national levels, foreign dominion over such assets imperils the nation’s food supply and the livelihoods of Georgia farmers.
SB 420 complies with federal fair housing regulations by exempting primary residences from its purview and stipulates timeframes for covered nonresident aliens to divest agricultural properties they presently own or may acquire in the future through debt settlement or inheritance.
Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31 which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.9221 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.
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