Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, bipartisan legislation to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites. The PASS Act is cosponsored by Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
“Nevada is home to many sensitive sites that are critical to our national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is common sense that we should not allow our foreign adversaries to buy agricultural land next to these locations. This bipartisan bill will keep Nevadans safe and protect American national security.”
“Our near-peer adversaries such as China are looking for any possible opportunity to surveil our nation’s capabilities and resources,” said Senator Rounds. “One example occurred in 2021 when the Fufeng Group purchased 300 acres of land in North Dakota, located near the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We can’t risk this happening again. The PASS Act would prevent entities of foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land and businesses near our military bases and sensitive sites. I am hopeful that with President Trump’s recent National Security Presidential Memorandum on this issue, we can finally get it across the finish line.”
Specifically, the PASS Act would:
- Ban purchases of agricultural land near military installations and sensitive sites by individuals/entities controlled by North Korea, China, Russia and Iran.
- Make the Secretary of Agriculture a voting member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for transactions involving the purchase of agricultural land, biotechnology, and any other transaction related to the agriculture industry in the United States.
- Give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the ability to refer cases to CFIUS for review if there is reason to believe an agriculture land transaction may raise a national security concern.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently advocated for strengthening American national security and standing up to our foreign adversaries. She recently introduced legislation to promote innovative businesses in direct competition with Communist China. Earlier this year, she introduced the HONOR Act to prevent businesses from claiming a foreign tax credit or deduction against taxes paid to fund the Russian government’s war machine. Cortez Masto has also led legislation to strengthen American partnership with Pacific Island nations to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
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