Protecting Tennessee Property from Foreign Adversaries

The Government Operations Committee advanced legislation further protecting property in Tennessee from being purchased by hostile foreign nations. House Bill 2553, sponsored by State Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, and co-sponsored by State Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, would prevent prohibited foreign parties designated by the federal government from owning or acquiring property in the state unless certain conditions were met. The proposed legislation repeals most of a similar law passed last year and replaces it with stricter protections and reporting requirements.

Any prohibited foreign party or business that currently owns land in the state would have to divest itself from the property within two years, according to the bill. The Office of Agriculture Intelligence would also be created within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to collect data and analyze information regarding the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land statewide.

Of the 26.4 million total acres in Tennessee, there were 427,288 acres of agricultural land and 434,268 acres of non-agricultural land owned by a foreign country or investor as of December 2020, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Not on my watch”, said State Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, “as a state representative I am going to do everything in my power to prevent foreign governments, that are hostile to America from owning land in Tennessee. We have to draw the line when it comes to protecting our land.

Recently in Loudon County this has become an issue.” House Bill 2553 is scheduled to be heard in the Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee.