SOIL Act Mandates Stricter Reviews for Foreign Purchases of U.S. Farmland and Land Near Military Bases

The Security and Oversight for International Landholdings Act of 2025, or SOIL Act, significantly ramps up federal scrutiny of foreign interests in U.S. land. It expands the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)—a government body that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments—to cover specific agricultural land deals and real estate transactions near military installations involving entities from certain countries.

Watching the Land: Expanded CFIUS Powers

So, what's changing on the ground? Under this Act, CFIUS review now kicks in for any interest (not just controlling ones, except securities) in agricultural land acquired by individuals or companies from nations tagged as 'nonmarket economies' (think countries like China under the Tariff Act of 1930) or flagged as a national security risk in the Director of National Intelligence's annual threat report (Section 2). The same review process applies to any real estate deals (excluding residential homes) within 50 miles of a military installation involving entities from those same designated countries (Section 3). If a company from a country on that DNI list wants to buy a farm or a commercial plot near a base, expect a federal review.

Turning Off the Tap: Federal Funding Restrictions

The SOIL Act also puts a hard stop on federal dollars flowing to certain foreign-owned agricultural operations (Section 4). If agricultural land is owned, even partially, by someone from one of those 'nonmarket economy' or DNI-listed 'national security risk' countries, federal agencies can't provide subsidies or assistance for activities on that property. This could mean no access to certain USDA loan programs or conservation subsidies for those specific landholdings, directly impacting the operating budget of affected farms.

More Disclosure, More Data

Transparency is another major theme. The bill beefs up the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (Section 5). Foreign entities will now need to report agricultural land leases longer than five years, not just purchases. Plus, the old rules often had minimum acreage requirements for reporting; this bill removes that minimum, meaning potentially smaller plots need disclosure if the Secretary of Agriculture requires it. To cap it off, the Secretary of Agriculture must publish a detailed annual report (Section 6) breaking down foreign ag-land holdings by country (specifically calling out China, Russia, and others), state, county, and how the land is being used. Expect more granular data on who owns what, where.