HB 1372: Agriculture; prohibit certain foreign persons and entities from acquiring a possessory interest in land located near critical infrastructure without prior approval by the Attorney General

Georgia law already restricts certain foreign persons and entities, called nonresident aliens, from acquiring farmland or land near military bases and installations. This bill expands that restriction to include land within five miles of critical infrastructure, a term defined to include energy systems, water and wastewater systems, transportation systems, communication systems, chemical facilities, and facilities owned by electric membership corporations. The bill requires any nonresident alien seeking to acquire or lease such land for more than a year to first get approval from the Attorney General, including a detailed disclosure of ownership structure. The Attorney General can deny the request if it poses a security risk, and that decision generally cannot be challenged in court except for abuse of discretion. Violators face civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation and forfeiture of the interest, plus criminal penalties for intentional violations. The changes would apply to acquisitions and leases starting July 1, 2026, including pending deals not finalized by then.

• Adds a new definition of critical infrastructure covering energy, water, transportation, communication, and chemical facilities, plus electric membership corporation facilities.
• Bans nonresident aliens tied to foreign adversary nations from acquiring a possessory interest (ownership, lease, or long-term use right) in land within five miles of critical infrastructure without approval.
• Requires prior Attorney General approval for any such acquisition or lease, including a detailed ownership disclosure from the applicant.
• Lets the Attorney General deny approval over state or national security risk, with that decision shielded from most court review.
• Sets civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation plus forfeiture of the land interest, and criminal penalties for intentional violations.
• Removes the prior exemption for residential property from the land restrictions.

Foreign nationals and foreign-controlled companies tied to countries the U.S. Secretary of Commerce designates as foreign adversaries, along with electric membership corporations, energy and water utilities, transportation and communication companies, chemical facilities, real estate sellers and lessors near these sites, and the Georgia Attorney General's office.

Foreign buyers or lessees connected to adversary nations would face a new approval process and possible denial before acquiring land near power plants, water systems, or other infrastructure, adding scrutiny to certain land transactions and exposing violators to large fines and loss of the property interest.

• The bill amends O.C.G.A. § 2-1-7(a) to add a definition of critical infrastructure listing energy, water, transportation, communication, chemical, and electric membership corporation facilities.
• Subsection (b)(1) extends the existing ban on nonresident alien land acquisition to land within a five-mile radius of critical infrastructure facilities.
• Subsection (b)(2) defines possessory interest broadly to include leases or occupancy rights lasting more than one year.
• Subsection (b)(3) requires prior Attorney General approval and a detailed ownership disclosure before a covered acquisition or lease, with denial authority based on security risk and limited judicial review.
• Subsection (b)(4) sets civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation and forfeiture of the interest, plus separate criminal penalties for intentional violations.
• Section 2 applies the new rules to acquisitions and leases occurring on or after July 1, 2026, including pending transactions not finalized by that date.

1. 2026-02-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-18House Hopper (House)

• Jordan Ridley (R, HD-022)Primary sponsor
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)
• Brad Thomas (R, HD-021)
• Steve Tarvin (R, HD-002)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)

• foreign land ownership
• critical infrastructure
• agriculture law
• national security
• Attorney General enforcement