Rushmore State News

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1713, known as the Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025. The legislation, introduced by Representative Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), incorporates provisions from the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act put forward by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Under these measures, the Secretary of Agriculture would be required to review all agriculture transactions examined by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS). Additionally, the Department of Agriculture would gain authority to refer cases to CFIUS if there is concern that an agricultural land transaction could pose a national security risk.

The PASS Act also seeks to prohibit individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land or businesses near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites.

“I am pleased to see that the House has passed legislation that would give the Secretary of Agriculture more oversight on foreign activity in America’s agriculture industry,” said Rounds. “This will make it easier to flag any unusual activity by our foreign adversaries that could threaten the United States. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this same provision passed on our side of the Capitol, in addition to further provisions of banning adversaries from buying the land near our sensitive sites.”

Senator Rounds has focused efforts on preventing foreign adversaries—specifically China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran—from acquiring land in America. He first introduced the PASS Act in August 2022 during the 117th Congress with companion legislation led by Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) in the House. The act has gained support from several South Dakota agricultural organizations including commodity groups representing corn growers, farmers unions, farm bureaus, dairy producers, soybean associations, cattlemen’s associations, stockgrowers associations, and pork producers.

Rounds reintroduced similar legislation during subsequent sessions of Congress: again in February 2023 for the 118th Congress and most recently in March 2025 for the 119th Congress. An amendment offered by Rounds was included in a committee version of last year’s National Defense Authorization Act; it aimed at barring entities controlled by certain foreign countries from acquiring farmland or agricultural businesses.

In October 2023 and June 2025 respectively, Senator Rounds introduced and then reintroduced separate legislation called Protect Our Bases Act designed to ensure CFIUS can review foreign purchases near sensitive military or intelligence locations through regular updates of site lists maintained by relevant agencies.