Republican California State Sen. Steven Choi has introduced Senate Bill 1176, seeking to prohibit foreign adversaries from purchasing, leasing, acquiring, or maintaining a controlling interest in agricultural land across the state.

The measure would apply to businesses or governments from countries designated as nonmarket economies under federal law or identified as national security threats in the latest Annual Threat Assessment issued by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Countries currently listed include China, Russia, Belarus, Vietnam, and several others.

Under the proposal, affected entities would be barred from holding controlling stakes in California farmland and required to divest within 90 days, subject to judicial review.

A 2024 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that foreign entities owned more than 46 million acres of American agricultural land nationwide, including 1,357,750 acres in California. Of that total, more than 18% was held by countries identified as national security threats.

“In an era of rising geopolitical tension, California must act to protect its agricultural land and critical infrastructure from adversarial control,” Choi said. “This bill ensures that our farmland remains under the control of the United States and its allies.”

The proposal follows a prior effort in 2022, Senate Bill 1084, known as the Food and Farm Security Act, which would have banned all foreign ownership of agricultural land in California and required state reporting on foreign-held land and resources. Gavin Newsom vetoed that measure.

Choi’s latest bill reflects growing concerns among lawmakers nationwide about foreign influence over critical agricultural assets and food supply chains, particularly amid heightened tensions with adversarial nations.