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HB 133NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billpassed both

Passed

North Carolina Prohibits Adversarial Foreign Governments From Acquiring Farmland and Land Near Military Bases

Original title: NC Farmland and Military Protection Act.

Last action · July 8, 2026: Ch. SL 2026-54Sponsors: Jennifer Balkcom and 60 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

North Carolina prohibits s and state-controlled enterprises from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding s in agricultural land and land located within a 75-mile radius of military installations, effective December 1, 2025.

Why it matters

Property transactions involving specified foreign entities in agricultural zones and within 75 miles of major military installations become legally void, shifting compliance responsibilities exclusively to the state and the acquiring foreign entities.

Background

State legislatures across the United States have increasingly introduced bills to restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land, particularly by entities from nations designated as geopolitical adversaries. context

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.

Directly affected

Adversarial foreign governments

Foreign governments and state-controlled enterprises are prohibited from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding agricultural land or land within 75 miles of military installations in North Carolina.

Directly affected

North Carolina farmers

Agricultural land access and regional food production protections are modified by barring foreign government control over farming acreage.

Directly affected

Private property owners and individuals

Private parties are relieved of any civil or criminal liability for failing to investigate whether a counterparty is an adversarial foreign government.

Key Facts

Bans adversarial foreign governments and state-controlled enterprises from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding any interest in North Carolina agricultural land.
Prohibits adversarial foreign governments and state-controlled enterprises from acquiring or leasing land situated within a 75-mile radius of any military installation in the State.
Declares any transfer of land interest in violation of this statute completely void.
Exempts land leased for agricultural research and development or input production up to 250 acres in the aggregate.

Show all 6 facts

Places the sole legal responsibility for determining compliance on the foreign government and the State of North Carolina, exempting private individuals and entities from civil or criminal liability for failing to investigate.
Sets the effective date of the act as December 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is restricted from buying agricultural land under this act?

s and state-controlled enterprises subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations in 22 C.F.R. § 126 are prohibited from acquiring land.

Are regular citizens or private businesses held liable for checking if a buyer is a restricted foreign entity?

No. Individuals or entities who are not s bear no civil or criminal liability for failing to inquire or determine whether a party is subject to the restriction.

Does the restriction apply only to farmland?

No. In addition to agricultural land, the ban covers any land situated within a 75-mile radius of a designated military installation in North Carolina.

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Where This Stands

Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

33 actions

Jun 30, 2026House
Ordered Enrolled
Jun 30, 2026House
Concurred In S Com Sub
Jun 25, 2026House
Placed On Cal For 06/30/2026
Jun 25, 2026House
Cal Pursuant 36(b)
Jun 24, 2026House
Regular Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
Jun 24, 2026Senate
Regular Message Sent To House

Show 27 earlier actions

Jun 23, 2026Senate
Engrossed
Jun 23, 2026Senate
Passed 3rd Reading
Jun 23, 2026Senate
Passed 2nd Reading
Jun 23, 2026Senate
Amend Tabled A2
Jun 23, 2026Senate
Amend Adopted A1
Jun 22, 2026Senate
Reptd Fav
Jun 17, 2026Senate
Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
Jun 17, 2026Senate
Com Substitute Adopted
Jun 17, 2026Senate
Reptd Fav Com Substitute
Jun 9, 2025Senate
Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate
Jun 9, 2025Senate
Withdrawn From Com
Apr 28, 2025Senate
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
Apr 28, 2025Senate
Passed 1st Reading
Apr 28, 2025Senate
Regular Message Received From House
Apr 17, 2025House
Regular Message Sent To Senate
Apr 16, 2025House
Passed 3rd Reading
Apr 16, 2025House
Passed 2nd Reading
Apr 15, 2025House
Placed On Cal For 04/16/2025
Apr 15, 2025House
Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
Apr 15, 2025House
Reptd Fav
Apr 15, 2025House
Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Apr 15, 2025House
Reptd Fav
Apr 8, 2025House
Re-ref Com On Commerce and Economic Development
Apr 8, 2025House
Reptd Fav Com Substitute
Feb 18, 2025House
Ref to the Com on Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs, if favorable, Commerce and Economic Development, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Feb 18, 2025House
Passed 1st Reading
Feb 17, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

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