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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-RYA23250-K6P-4V-MH9"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>118 S684 IS: This Land Is Our Land Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2023-03-07</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>118th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 684</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20230307">March 7, 2023</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S399">Mr. Hawley</sponsor> introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSAF00">Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To prohibit the acquisition and ownership of agricultural land by certain foreign entities, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body><section id="S1" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>This Land Is Our Land Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="id6A8F702AF0784C82BC08ADB2D6EF0375"><enum>2.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this Act:</text><paragraph id="id750f68a41cd040a69d886b8ddd2be6af"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Agricultural land</header><subparagraph id="idE5351BE61DD142CD81D105BBA93BA0FD"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>agricultural land</term> means—</text><clause id="id5b89bf75df4d408f930fc79c03ce2a2c"><enum>(i)</enum><text>land used for farming, ranching, or timber production;</text></clause><clause id="id0AF4CDB34FB442EA8EE7409FEC90E579"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>land used for food processing; and</text></clause><clause id="id1cb49602d6e74bd4992d8ffe45821987"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>land that—</text><subclause id="id5c383723767a4ebeb7dad26dee566af3"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is currently idle; and</text></subclause><subclause id="idbac9b1a7b4fc47328f9c763b7803d5ba"><enum>(II)</enum><text>was used within the previous 5 years for farming, ranching, or timber production.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5DBA6AEA456E46FEB6EF5E9CBC8CDBBF"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Related definitions</header><text>In subparagraph (A):</text><clause id="idc9952210b4014a86b91655a70ace19e5"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Farming, ranching, or timber production</header><text>The term <term>farming, ranching, or timber production</term> includes activities set forth in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual (1987), Division A.</text></clause><clause id="id002bdef2093f4230be3735e697dc6d6e" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Food processing</header><text>The term <term>food processing</term> includes activities set forth in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual (1987), Division D, Major Group 20. </text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7e96fa433fcf4b3eb7353f38f896130e"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Covered foreign entity</header><text>The term <term>covered foreign entity</term> means—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id672a984e81ca4bef9d76ad65ee9c6632"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a corporation that is incorporated in the People's Republic of China, including the Special Administrative Regions of China, including Hong Kong and Macau;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb92f93a7c3fd4551bfb33a93022b1c33"><enum>(B)</enum><text>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;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5339179b4d2940e3880337a7e2d96930"><enum>(C)</enum><text>an individual or organization affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ideda5ff5e18154653a5d24841781f9af0"><enum>(D)</enum><text>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</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idfeb094cee06b4831aac50c508f63641f"><enum>(E)</enum><text>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). </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id1541f0112aac4d03b7bb76add8e6258d"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Noncompete agreement</header><text>The term <term>noncompete agreement</term> 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:</text><subparagraph id="ida0101f47296f49c4b49b05b5fbf22568"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Any work for another employer for a specified period of time.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd0b77ded01924c459fbf9700c3e4cd92"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Any work in a specified geographical area.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb9a40534fe5945a89d69b36359ca9191"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Any work for another employer that is similar to that employee’s work for the employer that is a party to that agreement. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idc493f610c6144633ac169a3f54ea57ba"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Secretary</header><text>The term <term>Secretary</term> means the Secretary of Agriculture.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0be28e46c28249ba84b4d444abadaf45"><enum>(5)</enum><header>State</header><text>The term <term>State</term> means each of the several States of the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id095fddb8af644be1a3ce2275d306c2cf"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Territory</header><text>The term <term>territory</term> means—</text><subparagraph id="idde6691b6824840da843cab4c5c3ebf82"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the District of Columbia;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0767101d83004e15b9accc74d5817a24"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id75fed6b7844d4d7ba9a0b1119b8c8e00"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the United States Virgin Islands;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5c487cbb201e43a99d1452c846ee2dd1"><enum>(D)</enum><text>Guam;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id15fa8e9467074126902722c44ea103c2"><enum>(E)</enum><text>the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idda7e514436374505a3e2519cc135bc7e"><enum>(F)</enum><text>American Samoa. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id02866c4cbb38477a93a646853c776194"><enum>(7)</enum><header>United States agricultural land</header><text>The term <term>United States agricultural land</term> means agricultural land located in a State or territory.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id67de2101d6a34d7aa962d582a52599ae"><enum>3.</enum><header>Prohibition of acquisition, leasing, or ownership of United States agricultural land by covered foreign entities</header><subsection id="id0645a58792ae4b428ded3209d8a80208"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Prohibition of acquisition of agricultural land</header><text>It shall be unlawful for a covered foreign entity—</text><paragraph id="id93ba5ee740404710963c2d656d91958d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to acquire any interest in United States agricultural land; or</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id978fbbb81cb64a92b2fe0e999111fb8d"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to lease any interest in United States agricultural land.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id829ab77ac9ad4bd9b92175cea5911847"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Divestment requirement</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7010757ceb2a485ba3695b0f7b35ca61"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 2 years 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.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idab85fde264c94318b75317bd163acf1a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Letters of intent</header><text>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 sign a letter of intent to divest itself from any ownership or lease interests in United States agricultural land.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida42ead92e7f24d37afcac32f37fc6d55"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Penalty</header><text>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).</text></subsection><subsection id="id008d5b0993634a7ba64fbaded3ec772b"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Criminal enforcement</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9eaf3771a6d5438c86ddbe2ad77a90e1"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Penalties</header><text>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.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc9e2e73d9a104ec0996466f66d849c02"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Forfeiture</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0b5b59bed5904a9397f71a035bd3e386"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>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 <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/18/46">chapter 46</external-xref> of title 18, United States Code.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf9aa989c01034e82b9b141a0c5dd8e2d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Public auction of forfeited land</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id73b90575f0e544e39134c5f4641b5383"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Nullification of agreements</header><text>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. </text></subsection><subsection id="idc113a8af8ca54f71840da7ae5bfc8dd1"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Implementation</header><paragraph id="id338a807246a64e41b566f1d4b1b60eec"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>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.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf70f3f11a1504eb582f5b2e2c91985f4"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Office</header><text>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—</text><subparagraph id="id598f0bd9c6f24db987cfb197454b8a16"><enum>(A)</enum><text>monitoring compliance with this Act; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idde44457ae38f470dafa7738c08919bcc"><enum>(B)</enum><text>imposing fines under subsection (c).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idfc45b91c42ae4859b355ab93558c3bf4"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Investigative actions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may carry out such actions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to monitor compliance with this Act. </text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill> 

