- Starting Sept. 1, Texas will prohibit individuals and entities tied to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural, residential (except primary residences), mineral and water rights in the state under Senate Bill 17.
- The law allows the Texas governor to add more countries to the restricted list based on evolving national security threats.
- SB 17 applies to foreign governments, political party members (like the CCP) and agents acting on behalf of adversarial nations. Leases for affected parties are limited to less than one year.
- Texas joins 22 states – including Florida, Georgia and North Dakota – that passed similar laws between January 2023 and July 2024 to restrict or ban foreign ownership of U.S. land.
- The restrictions and limitations from different states may vary, but they all aim for one thing: to protect their land from foreign adversaries.
Texas will soon enact a sweeping law barring individuals and entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other foreign adversaries from purchasing land in the state.
Senate Bill 17, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 23, prohibits individuals and companies with ties to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea – countries designated as national security threats by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence – from acquiring residential property (unless it's a primary residence), agricultural land, mineral rights or water rights in Texas. It also restricts individuals from acting as agents or representatives of designated nations. Leases are capped at less than one year for affected parties.
The law, which will take effect on Sept. 1, allows the governor to add other countries to the restricted list as future threats emerge. However, foreign nationals from the designated countries may still purchase homes if they live in the U.S. legally and the property serves as their primary residence.
SB 17 was originally introduced by Republican State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst in November 2022 but failed to advance at that time. Reintroduced earlier this 2025, the bill passed the Senate 25-6 and the House 85-57 in late May. Kolkhorst described the law as "the strongest national security bill that this nation has ever seen from any state," asserting it defends Texas from the growing influence of adversarial regimes. (Related: Texas advances bill to block land sales to citizens and entities from hostile nations.)
"I believe that, from the very bottom of my heart, we are protecting our land and our minerals," Kolkhorst said at a press conference on May 31, following the passage of the bill in the Texas Legislature. "All of these are our resources that should never fall into the hands of adversarial nations."
Texas joins wave of states limiting foreign ownership of land amid national security concerns
Texas is now part of a growing coalition of states enacting laws to restrict foreign ownership of land.
According to the official website of Congress, 22 states passed laws between January 2023 and July 2024 regulating or outright banning foreign entities and nationals from owning land within their borders. These states include Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Iowa and Virginia, among others. While specific restrictions vary, many laws focus on foreign ownership of agricultural land, property near military installations and other sensitive areas.
In Florida, SB 264, which took effect in July 2023, bars certain nationals from owning land within 10 miles of military facilities and prohibits many Chinese nationals and entities from owning any real estate.
The website highlights that state-level land ownership laws differ widely. Some states have limited their restrictions to disclosure requirements, while others like Texas and Florida have taken more aggressive approaches, banning land purchases by certain foreign nationals outright.
Some laws target foreign governments directly. Others define foreign "adversaries" through reference to federal designations, such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list or designations under Executive Order 13873, which focuses on protecting critical infrastructure from foreign interference.
Listen to Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as he warns about China's purchase of U.S. farmland in strategic locations.
This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.
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