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Read. Follow. Verify.Farmland for Farmers Act of 2026
Last action · April 27, 2026: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.Sponsors: Jill Tokuda and 3 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes a federal ban on new corporate ownership of agricultural land to prioritize family-owned farms. It establishes strict definitions for 'authorized legal entities' that are permitted to own farmland, effectively excluding large institutional investors and complex corporate structures.
If passed, this bill would restrict the types of entities allowed to purchase agricultural land in the U.S., potentially altering land market competition and investment strategies for corporations and pension funds.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Independent family farmers
The bill aims to reduce competition from corporate investors when purchasing agricultural land.
Institutional investors and pension funds
These entities would be prohibited from acquiring new agricultural land interests under the proposed definitions.
Rural communities
The bill identifies these communities as being directly impacted by the economic and operational scope of corporate land ownership.
Key Facts
- The bill seeks to ban new corporate ownership of agricultural land.
- Institutional ownership of farm properties rose more than three-fold between 2005 and 2025.
- The market value of institutionally-owned farmland grew from under $2 billion to over $16 billion between 2005 and 2025.
- Farmland prices in the U.S. have nearly doubled since 2005.
Show all 9 facts
- An 'authorized legal entity' allowed to own farmland must have 25 or fewer owners, all of whom must be natural persons actively engaged in farming.
- Entities with multilayered subsidiary structures or management/holding companies are prohibited from owning agricultural land.
- 'Actively engaged in farming' requires regular management decisions or physical work, excluding those who solely provide capital.
- Agricultural land is defined as cropland, grassland, rangeland, pasture, or forestland used for production within the last 10 years.
- The bill excludes security interests, easements, and certain future interests from the definition of 'ownership interest'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill affect current corporate owners of farmland?
Can a family farm still incorporate under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Apr 27, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, INC
on behalf of CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift toward anti-institutional land ownership
The bill explicitly cites the 2008 financial crisis as the catalyst for increased institutional farmland investment, framing the current market as a threat to national security.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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