Committee of 100’s ongoing effort to track and classify legislation that restricts property ownership by foreign governments, businesses, and people shows a continuing effort by state governments and Congress to limit the ability of such entities to own property in the U.S.

While some laws restricting the ability of adversarial governments to own property in the U.S. may protect national security interests, Committee of 100 believes that passage of laws prohibiting property ownership by everyday citizens of foreign countries legitimizes harmful and xenophobic claims about immigrants that exacerbate anti-Asian violence against U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike.

Page contents

• Significant restriction activity in 2026 (new)
• Policy trends since 2021
• Interactive policy and litigation map (new state and federal code tab)
• Interactive policy data explorer
• Glossary of Terms

Significant restriction activity in 2026

Indiana’s new law significantly expands foreign property ownership restrictions

Indiana’s SB 256 passed into law (P.L. 131-2026), prohibiting governmental entities of, businesses headquartered in, and nonresident aliens that are citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing all property in the state. It additionally prohibits leasing non-residential property or leasing residential property for more than 24 months. The law went into effect July 1, 2026, and significantly expands on Indiana’s previous law that prohibited foreign ownership of agricultural land and land near military installations.

Bills restricting foreign property ownership are becoming increasingly broad

South Carolina’s SB 1065 (2026) is one of the most comprehensive foreign property restriction bills introduced by a state since 2021. The bill bans all non-resident aliens from owning or leasing any property in the state and requires divestiture of all currently owned or leased property. The bill goes further to ban property ownership by any person “affiliated” with a government or foreign nongovernment person of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. SB 1065 defines “affiliated” as “belongs to, is connected with, is a member of, represents, or acts on behalf of […].” Although this bill did not pass this year, it may indicate a trend toward future state legislation adopting similar language and broad scope.

“The Ban Chinese Communist and Islamist Home Ownership Act” (HR 8906), introduced in the House in May and currently undergoing consideration in the chamber, prohibits purchase, ownership, and requires divestiture of all housing by non-U.S. citizens that are also citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. The bill also prohibits home ownership by persons affiliated with the government of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. Unlike South Carolina’s SB 1065, this bill does not define “affiliated,” nor does it distinguish between U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens in this context, leaving significant discretion to enforcing agencies.

USDA and Congress are pushing for a more stringent AFIDA

The USDA’s recently proposed rule (June 25, 2026) for administering the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) places harsher penalties on citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran for disclosure failures. The new proposed rule also:

• expands what land is covered by disclosure requirements,
• expands what counts as a “covered foreign entity,”
• lowers the threshold for covered ownership and interest,
• requires more detailed information to be reported,
• and codifies an administrative transfer of AFIDA oversight to the USDA Office of Homeland Security, signaling more active investigation of foreign ownership and placing it in a national security framework

Congress is also considering a wide range of related bills that would amend the AFIDA statute itself, creating more stringent reporting requirements and harsher penalties than the proposed rule (S. 845, S. 886, HR 4362).

Congress’ Farm Bill gives substantial discretion to the President to restrict foreign agricultural land ownership

Congress’ 2026 Farm Bill, which passed in the House and is currently being considered in the Senate (the furthest a farm bill has progressed since 2018), includes extensive restrictions on agricultural land ownership by a range of foreign entities, prohibiting the purchase of all agricultural land in the U.S. by the governments of China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Syria or any person affiliated with one of those countries (SEC. 12306). Specifically, the bill:

• requires the President to direct federal agencies to issue rules to accomplish these goals, and, similar to HR 8906, the legislation does not define “affiliated” in provisions prohibiting persons and other entities “affiliated” with covered countries.
• The legislation would most likely cover government entities and businesses headquartered in covered countries, but the bill does not distinguish between citizens of the covered countries and U.S. citizens that may have personal or professional affiliations with a covered country. The vagueness of this language leaves significant discretion to the enforcing agencies in determining which individuals are covered.
• The bill also heightens scrutiny of agricultural land purchases and ownership by citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Regarding legislative efforts to prevent Chinese citizens and businesses from owning property in the United States, Chinese businesses and citizens own 0.5% of all privately held, foreign-owned agricultural property, according to the Department of Agriculture’s most recent 2024 AFIDA annual report data. According to the 2024 AFIDA annual report, privately held, foreign-owned agricultural land accounts for 3.6% of all privately held agricultural land in the United States (96.4% is domestically-owned). Put differently, Chinese ownership represents .018% of privately held agricultural land in the United States, or about 1 out of every 5,600 acres, a decrease of about 14% from 2023.

These are the substantive foreign property ownership laws passed so far in 2026:

• Arizona’s SB 1683 prohibits Foreign Adversary governmental entities and government-owned businesses from buying or leasing property in the state.
• Indiana’s SB 256 prohibits governmental entities, businesses, and citizens that are not permanent U.S. residents from Foreign Adversary countries from purchasing property or leasing property that is not for residential purposes.
• Louisiana’s SB 200 allows the state to expropriate property near military bases that is owned by “Foreign Adversaries or agents of Foreign Adversaries” when such ownership “presents a threat to public health and safety.”
• Louisiana’s HB 816 stops government entities, businesses and citizens from Foreign Adversary countries from owning property near military installations.
• Louisiana’s HB 192 is a proposed constitutional amendment that will be subject to voter approval; it prohibits expropriation of property by Foreign Adversary entities.
• Louisiana’s SB 200 allows the state’s Military Department to expropriate land near military bases if it’s owned by a Foreign Adversary government entity or agent of.
• North Carolina’s HB 133 stops governmental entities and businesses from ITAR countries from buying or leasing agricultural land or land within 50 miles of military installations.
• Oklahoma’s HB 3431 amends existing state law to include prohibiting leasing land.
• Oklahoma’s SB 893 amends existing state law, which already prohibits foreign governments, businesses, and non-U.S. citizens from owning land in the state, to restrict interests in agricultural land greater than 25% and prohibits foreign entities from renting property near sensitive land.
• South Dakota’s SB 40 increases compliance requirements and penalties for violations of the state’s existing property ownership restrictions on agricultural land.
• Tennessee’s SB 2424 stops Foreign Adversary and ITAR governments and government-controlled businesses from owning or leasing non-agricultural land in the state.

Policy trends since 2021

Download our comprehensive report from June 2026 summarizing and analyzing the legislation and litigation landscape here.

As of August 13, 2026:

• 7 states are currently considering 23 bills that would restrict foreign property ownership in some way;
• U.S. Congress is currently considering 32 bills;
• 26 states have passed 63 bills that restrict foreign property ownership. While 4 bills were passed into law prior to 2021, most legislative activity has taken place since 2021. In particular, 17 bills passed into law in 2024, 14 passed into law in 2025, and 11 became law in 2026 so far;
• In July 2025, the Administration took executive action to launch the National Farm Security Action Plan, which includes a key initiative to collaborate with state and federal partners on legislative and executive measures aimed at ending the direct or indirect purchase or control of U.S. farmland by citizens or entities from countries of concern or designated foreign adversaries.

Since 2021:

• 43 states have introduced 455 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities;
• U.S. Congress has introduced 88 such bills;
• From 2021 to 2023, only 39 bills were considered between states and Congress. In 2023, the rate increased dramatically; 150 bills were considered in 2023, 127 bills were considered in 2024, 139 were considered in 2025, and 118 have been considered in 2026 so far;
• Of the 543 bills that have been introduced by states and Congress since 2021, 340 (63%) include provisions that prohibit or otherwise restrict Chinese citizens from owning some form of property, 28 of which explicitly and singly target China and restrict Chinese citizens from owning some form of property;
• Of the 63 bills that have been passed into law, 1 bill singles out Chinese citizens and prohibits Chinese citizens domiciled in China from owning any form of property in the state: Florida’s SB 264 (2023).
• Across each year since 2021, and between states and Congress (note that no federal bills have passed into law):
  • 2021: 20 bills introduced, 1 passed into law
  • 2022: 19 bills introduced, 1 passed into law
  • 2023: 150 bills introduced, 19 passed into law
  • 2024: 127 bills introduced, 17 passed into law
  • 2025: 139 bills introduced, 14 passed into law
  • 2026: 88 bills introduced, 11 passed into law so far

Interactive policy and litigation map

The provisions contained in this legislation encompass a wide range of restrictions on an extensive variety of properties by a large array of foreign entities and their respective countries. The interactive mapping tool illustrates legislative activity by state governments and Congress pertaining to restriction of property ownership by foreign citizens, businesses, and governments.

The following template illustrates the general formula of each bill: Some entity (e.g. governments, nonresident aliens) belonging to some country(ies) (e.g. all foreign countries, foreign adversaries, China) are restricted from having some interest (e.g. restricted from owning, leasing, or are regulated in some other way) in some property (e.g. all real property, agricultural property, state land). The glossary below the apps detail the terms used.

The first tab of the mapping tool below allows users to navigate across this legislative landscape by specifying the combination of provisions they are interested in through the dropdown menus above the map. The map highlights the intersection of the selected provisions. Clicking a state (or “U.S.,” which refers to federal legislation) provides a detailed summary of all legislation currently being considered or passed into law, as well as any constitutional provisions related to foreign property ownership. Note that failed bills are included in the statistics described above (among bills that have been introduced) but are excluded from the map to reduce congestion. Additionally, to highlight constitutional provisions, all other menu menu selections must be omitted.

The second tab provides a map of all state and federal code related to foreign property ownership rights and restrictions as of August 12, 2026.

The third tab highlights litigation against states’ foreign property ownership laws: summarizing complaints, decisions made, and the current status of these lawsuits. As of August 12 there are 8 such cases: 2 in Arkansas, 2 in Florida, 1 in Tennessee, and 3 in Texas.

Interactive data explorer

The data explorer allows users to view the legislative landscape in a second way; by selecting a bill status and provision category, users may view the distribution of provisions contained in bills for a given bill status-provision category combination. For instance, the default selections show the distribution of foreign country groups among bills currently being considered by state legislatures and Congress. For instance, the 55 total bills currently being considered, 17 contain provisions that restrict property ownership by Foreign Adversaries.

Glossary of terms

Entity types

• Government: A country’s government and affiliated governmental entities, which includes entities that are sponsored, funded, controlled, or owned by the government.
• Businesses: Businesses, companies, corporations, or other organizations that are headquartered in, or organized under the laws of, a covered country.
• Non-citizens domiciled in a covered country: Individual citizens of foreign countries that are domiciled in a covered country. “Domiciled” is defined in Texas’ SB 17 as “having established a place as an individual’s true, fixed, and permanent home and principal residence to which the individual intends to return whenever absent.” Similar definitions are provided in other legislation.
• Nonresident aliens: Individual citizens of covered countries that are not permanent U.S. residents, including individuals domiciled in the U.S. To note, some legislation covers only nonresident aliens that have not been physically present in the U.S. for a variable amount of days (e.g. Nebraska’s LB 7 (2025)); the classifications provided here do not capture this kind of provision.
• Resident aliens: Individual citizens of covered countries that are permanent U.S. residents and/or permanent residents of the state.

Foreign country groups

• All foreign countries: All countries outside of the U.S. and its territories.
• Foreign Adversaries: Governments of foreign countries identified by the Secretary of Commerce as having “engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of United States persons,” which includes (as of 2026): People’s Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Islamic Republic of Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
• Countries of Particular Concern: Countries designated by the Secretary of State under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 as having a government that “has engaged in or tolerated ’particularly severe violations of religious freedom,’” which includes (as of 2026): Burma, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Eritrea, Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Nigeria.
• Threat-Assessed countries: Countries identified by the Director of National Intelligence in the Director’s Annual Threat Assessment report as “the most direct, serious threats to the United States,” which includes (as of the 2025 report): People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
• ITAR countries: Countries identified in 22 C.F.R. § 126.1 as being denied “licenses and other approvals for exports and imports of defense articles and defense services, destined for or originating in certain countries,” which (as of 2026) includes Republic of Belarus, Burma, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Islamic Republic of Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syrian Arab Republic, and Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
• Sanctioned countries: Countries and other entities identified (as of 2026) by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Sanctioned Programs and Country List.
• State Sponsors of Terrorism: “Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism,” which includes (as of 2026): Republic of Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Syrian Arab Republic.
• Hostile countries: This term is particular to Arizona’s SB 1066 (2025) and several bills introduced by Oklahoma’s state legislature in 2026, and is not defined by the legislation or otherwise by state or federal law.
• Foreign Countries of Concern: Nations covered by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, 10 U.S.C. § 4872(d), which includes the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• China identified: The People’s Republic of China is explicitly included in a custom list of countries restricted from property ownership.
• Only China: The People’s Republic of China is singly identified as the country restricted from property ownership.

Restrictions

• Ownership restricted: Prohibition or other restriction of purchase and/or ownership of property.
• Lease and/or rental restricted: Prohibition or other restriction of rental and/or lease of property.
• Other regular: Various regulations that do not directly prohibit buying, owning, renting, or leasing property, including mandatory review and approval of purchases, reporting requirements, conducting studies about, and increasing penalties for foreign property ownership.

Property types

• All real property: All real estate and real property, sometimes including water rights and/or mineral rights belonging to the property. Note that some legislation includes exemptions that allow for the purchase and ownership of “homesteads” intended for the purpose of individual residence. The classifications here do not distinguish between legislation that does and does not include such exemptions.
• Agricultural land and/or natural resources: Real property that is used for farming, ranching, timber production, or natural resource extraction. Restrictions of this category may or may not also include natural resource rights belonging to the property.
• Sensitive land: Real property located within a certain (and variable) distance of a military facility and/or critical infrastructure.
• Residential property: Real property that is zoned as residential property.
• Commercial property: Real property used for business or commercial use, and/or zoned for such use.
• State land: Real property owned by and/or under the control of a state.

State constitution

• Restrictions: Includes restrictions of foreign property ownership directly in the state constitution.
• Allows/directs statutory restrictions: Includes provisions that either direct or allow the legislature to enact laws that restrict foreign property ownership.
• Protections: Includes affirmative property rights to some group directly in the state constitution.

Committee of 100 would like to thank Harrison M. Pittman, Director of The National Agricultural Law Center; Yu Wang, PhD student at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University; and Vanessa Soto, Diversity & Inclusion Editor of the Boston University Law Review, for their research that has greatly aided this project. If you have a comment or know of new bills that have recently been proposed, please email Committee of 100 Research and Data Scientist Sam Collitt at scollitt@Committee100.org.