• Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Tester (D-Mont.) on Feb. 1 introduced a bill to ban China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from buying or leasing U.S. farmland and agricultural businesses.
• The proposed legislation, named the PASS (Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security) Act of 2023, would require the president to report to Congress on any waiver granted to the prohibited countries.
• It would also make the secretary of agriculture a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a federal panel that reviews foreign acquisitions for national security risks, and specify agricultural investments as falling under CFIUS’ jurisdiction.

Tagged: Capitol Hill