--- title: 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 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1372 cite_as: HB 1372, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1372 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1372.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1372/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73361 date: 2026-02-20 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1371.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1373.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1372.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1372 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-18 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Jordan Ridley - Jason Ridley - Mitchell Horner - Brad Thomas - Steve Tarvin - David Clark text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1372/2025 upstream_id: 2119554 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - foreign land ownership - critical infrastructure - agriculture law - national security - Attorney General enforcement --- # 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 ## Text House Bill 1372 By: Representatives Ridley of the 22nd, Ridley of the 6th, Horner of the 3rd, Thomas of the 21st, Tarvin of the 2nd, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 2-1-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to prohibiting the acquisition of possessory interest in certain land by certain foreign persons and entities, so as to prohibit certain foreign persons and entities from acquiring a possessory interest in land located near critical infrastructure without prior approval by the Attorney General; to provide for the scope of the possessory interest; to provide for penalties; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. Code Section 2-1-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to prohibiting the acquisition of possessory interest in certain land by certain foreign persons and entities, is amended by revising subsections (a) and (b) as follows: "(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) 'Agent of a foreign government' means: (A) Any person who acts as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign government or of a person any of whose activities are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed, or subsidized in whole or in major part by a foreign government, and who directly or through any other person: (i) Engages within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign government; (ii) Acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information service employee, or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign government; (iii) Within the United States solicits, collects, disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other things of value for or in the interests of such foreign government; or (iv) Within the United States represents the interests of such foreign government before any agency or official of the government of the United States; and (B) Any person who agrees, consents, assumes, or purports to act as, or who is or holds himself or herself out to be, whether or not pursuant to a contractual relationship, a person described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. (2) 'Agricultural land' means any land capable of use in the production of agricultural crops, timber, livestock or livestock products, poultry or poultry products, milk or dairy products, or fruit or other horticultural products, but does not include any land zoned by a local governmental unit for a use other than and nonconforming with agricultural use. (3) 'Critical infrastructure' means systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on national security, including economic security, and national public health and safety, or any combination thereof, as set forth in Section 5195c(e) of Title 42 of the United States Code. Such term shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (A) Energy systems, including electric power generation, transmission, and distribution; (B) Water and wastewater systems: (C) Transportation systems; (D) Communication systems; (E) Chemical facilities; and (F) Any facility owned or operated by an electric membership corporation as such term is defined in Code Section 46-3-171. (2.1)(4) 'Military installation' means a facility owned and operated by the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Space Force, or Coast Guard that shelters military equipment and personnel and facilitates training and operations for such organizations. (3)(5) 'Nonresident alien' means: (A)(i) Any natural person described in subsection (a) of Code Section 1-2-11 who is not a United States citizen or legal resident, is an agent of a foreign government designated as a foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 7.4, and: (I) Has been physically absent from the United States for more than six months out of the most recent 12 months preceding the acquisition of a possessory interest described in this Code section; or (II) Has been physically absent from Georgia for more than two months out of the most recent 12 months preceding the acquisition of a possessory interest described in this Code section. (ii) The provisions of this subparagraph shall not be in conflict with the federal Fair Housing Act. (B) A corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trustee, or other business entity that is: (i) Domiciled in a country whose government is designated as a foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 7.4; or (ii) Domiciled within the United States, but the ownership of at least 25 percent of which is composed of any corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trustee, or other business entity that is domiciled in a country whose government is designated as a foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 7.4; provided, however, that this subparagraph shall not include a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trustee, or other business entity leasing land from its owner and using such land for agricultural research and development or experimental purposes, including testing, developing, or producing crop production inputs, including, but not limited to, seeds, plants, pesticides, soil amendments, biologicals, and fertilizers, for sale or resale to farmers; or (C) A foreign government designated as a foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 7.4. (4) 'Residential property' means real estate intended to be used as the purchaser's dwelling, as such term is defined in Code Section 8-3-201. (b)(1) Except as provided by paragraph (3) of this subsection and subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, no nonresident alien shall acquire directly or indirectly any possessory interest in agricultural land or, land within a ten-mile radius of any military base, military installation, or military airport, or land within a five-mile radius of any critical infrastructure facility. (2) This subsection shall not apply to residential property For purposes of this subsection, possessory interest includes any lease, rental agreement, or other right to occupy or use land for a term exceeding one year. (3) Any proposed acquisition or lease by a nonresident alien of land described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall require prior approval by the Attorney General. The applicant must submit to the Attorney General a detailed disclosure of the ownership structure of such acquisition or lease, including any indirect ownership by entities domiciled in or controlled by a foreign adversary as designated by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 7.4. The Attorney General is authorized to deny approval if the transaction poses a risk to state or national security, and such decision shall be final and not subject to judicial review except for abuse of discretion. (4) Any violation of this subsection shall result in civil penalties of up to $100,000.00 per violation and forfeiture of the possessory interest; provided, however, that an intentional violation of this subsection shall also be subject to the penalties set forth in subsection (g) of this Code section." SECTION 2. This Act shall apply to all acquisitions occurring and leases entered into on or after July 1, 2026, including any pending transactions that are not finalized before July 1, 2026. SECTION 3. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House bill would expand the state's ban on foreign land acquisitions near military sites to also cover land near critical infrastructure like power plants and water systems, requiring Attorney General approval for such deals. ### Plain-language summary 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. ### What it does - 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. ### Who it affects 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. ### Why it matters 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. ### Key provisions - The bill amends O.C.G.A. ยง 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. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-18) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-20) - Sponsors: Jordan Ridley, Jason Ridley, Mitchell Horner, Brad Thomas, Steve Tarvin, David Clark - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73361 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1372.md?full=1