Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025
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Would add the Secretary of Agriculture as a voting member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for deals involving farmland, agricultural biotechnology, or the broader agriculture sector, and would require CFIUS to evaluate certain land purchases by foreign nationals of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran.
The bill targets a gap in federal oversight of foreign influence over U.S. food and agriculture infrastructure by formally embedding the Agriculture Department in the national security review process for the first time.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Defense Production Act of 1950 to expand CFIUS — the interagency panel that reviews foreign investment for national security risks — in two ways. First, it would add the Secretary of Agriculture as a full CFIUS member whenever a covered transaction involves agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (including transportation, storage, and processing). Second, it would require CFIUS to evaluate "reportable agricultural land transactions" referred by USDA: transactions that USDA has reason to believe are covered transactions, that involve acquisition of an interest in agricultural land by a foreign national of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, and for which a report is already required to USDA under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978.
The bill's CFIUS review requirement for those four countries would automatically expire, on a country-by-country basis, if and when any of those nations is removed from the federal government's official list of foreign adversaries (15 C.F.R. § 791.4). The bill does not create new land ownership restrictions on its own — it routes flagged transactions into the existing CFIUS review framework.
Key provisions
- 1Would add the Secretary of Agriculture as a CFIUS member for any covered transaction involving agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (including transportation, storage, and processing).
- 2Would require CFIUS, upon USDA notification, to determine whether a reportable agricultural land transaction is a covered transaction and whether to initiate a national security review.
- 3Would define 'reportable agricultural land transaction' as one USDA has reason to believe is a covered transaction, involving acquisition of agricultural land by a foreign person of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran, and subject to USDA reporting under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978.
- 4Would sunset the CFIUS referral requirements, on a country-by-country basis, if a named foreign adversary is removed from the federal list at 15 C.F.R. § 791.4.
Who would be affected
Foreign nationals and entities from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran who seek to acquire interests in U.S. agricultural land and are already required to file reports with USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would gain a formal seat on CFIUS for agricultural transactions. Domestic landowners and agricultural businesses subject to acquisition offers from those four foreign-adversary nations would also be touched by the review process.
Why it matters
Without an Agriculture Department voice on CFIUS, deals affecting farmland, food-supply infrastructure, or agricultural biotechnology could be reviewed without meaningful input from the agency with the deepest expertise. If enacted, USDA's Secretary would have a formal role in assessing national security risk, and suspicious land purchases by nationals of four named adversary countries would trigger mandatory CFIUS consideration rather than relying solely on voluntary disclosure.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4565) (Sec. 2–3)
Adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a CFIUS member for agricultural land, biotechnology, and industry transactions, and creates a mandatory CFIUS referral process for agricultural land deals by nationals of four adversary nations.
Amends Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (Sec. 3)
Referenced as the existing reporting requirement that triggers the new CFIUS referral; the bill incorporates its disclosure reports as the gateway to CFIUS review.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 1713 would cost approximately $10 million over the 2025–2030 period in discretionary spending, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1713 would require about $10 million in discretionary spending (funds subject to annual appropriation by Congress) over the 2025–2030 period, primarily to support USDA's new responsibility to notify the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) of agricultural land purchases by foreign investors that may raise national security concerns. The bill would also formally add USDA to CFIUS, but CBO found the associated costs would not be significant since USDA already participates in CFIUS investigations upon request. The bill has no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues, and therefore no effect on the deficit. CBO determined that the bill's provisions fall under the national security exclusion of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, so no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates were assessed.
How implementation would work
USDA would identify reportable agricultural land transactions — using its existing disclosure reports under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 and intelligence community information — and notify CFIUS. CFIUS would then determine whether the transaction qualifies as a covered transaction and whether to open a formal national security review or take other authorized action. The Secretary of Agriculture, now a statutory CFIUS member, would participate in deliberations on any covered transaction touching agricultural land, biotechnology, or the agriculture industry. The review requirements for each of the four named countries would automatically terminate if that country is removed from the federal foreign-adversary list.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including by requiring CFIUS to determine whether a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions that are referred by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (CFIUS oversees the national security risks of certain foreign investment in the United States. CFIUS has the authority to review covered transactions, which include mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in foreign control of a U.S. business; certain investments in businesses involved in critical technologies, critical infrastructure, or sensitive personal data; and certain real estate transactions.)
Specifically, the bill directs CFIUS to, after receiving notification from USDA, determine (1) whether a reportable agricultural land transaction is a covered transaction, and (2) whether CFIUS should initiate a national security review or take another action with respect to the transaction.
Reportable agricultural land transaction means a transaction (1) that USDA has reason to believe is a covered transaction, based on information from or in cooperation with the intelligence community; (2) that involves the acquisition of an interest in agricultural land by a foreign person of China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran; and (3) with respect to which a foreign person is required to submit a report to USDA regarding their agricultural land transactions.
The bill also expands CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture for covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (e.g., agricultural transportation, storage, and processing).
Legislative subjects
Asia; China; Department of Agriculture; Europe; Federal officials; Foreign Trade and International Finance; Iran; Land transfers; Middle East; North Korea; Russia; U.S. and foreign investments
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-129