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Read. Follow. Verify.North Dakota Prohibits Foreign Ownership of Real Property Near Military Installations and Critical Infrastructure
Last action · January 20, 2025: Withdrawn from further considerationSponsors: SuAnn Olson and 6 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1208 prohibits foreign countries of concern and foreign organizations of concern from leasing, purchasing, or acquiring title to real property within ten miles of a military installation or in North Dakota. The measure bans development agreements with these entities by local governments and sets mandatory ment timelines for violators, backed by civil penalties up to $25,000.
Property owners and local governments face new restrictions on development agreements and property sales involving specified foreign entities, while affected foreign owners must holdings near military sites within one year of acquisition or face court-ordered public sales.
- House Bill 1208 was introduced during the 69th Legislative Assembly of North Dakota in January 2025 and subsequently withdrawn from further consideration. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Foreign countries of concern
Prohibited from purchasing, leasing, or acquiring real property within ten miles of military installations and subject to mandatory divestment rules.
Foreign organizations of concern
Faced with restrictions on acquiring critical infrastructure and real property near military sites, along with mandatory divestment requirements for violations.
Board of County Commissioners
Prohibited from approving development agreements or building plans with identified foreign adversaries or organizations of concern.
State's attorneys
Granted authority to issue subpoenas, commence district court actions, and initiate public sales for properties held in violation of the law.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What property is restricted under House Bill 1208?
What happens if a foreign organization of concern violates the property ownership ban?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Withdrawn.
Procedural history
3 actions- Jan 20, 2025HouseWithdrawn from further consideration
- Jan 20, 2025HouseCommitteeRequest return from committee
- Jan 10, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, first reading, referred Political Subdivisions Committee
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
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 2 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Military Proximity Restrictions
The bill establishes explicit geographic buffers around military installations and critical infrastructure to restrict acquisitions by foreign entities of concern.
Connected Entities
Sources
ndlegis.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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