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HB 219

Real Property - As enacted, requires foreign persons who purchase land in this state and who file a report of such purchase to the United States department of agriculture under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act to also file the report with the commissioner of agriculture. - Amends TCA Title 66, Chapter 2, Part 3.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Jay Reedy

Tennessee now requires foreign agricultural land buyers to file purchase disclosures with state agriculture officials alongside existing federal filings.

Pub. Ch. 337
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Bill Summary · HB 219

Legislative bill overview

HB 219 requires foreign persons purchasing land in Tennessee to file disclosure reports with the state's Commissioner of Agriculture, in addition to the federal filings already required under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). The bill essentially creates a state-level mirror of federal foreign land purchase disclosures, effective July 1, 2025.

Why is this important

This gives Tennessee state officials direct visibility into foreign agricultural land acquisitions within their borders, allowing for state-level monitoring and policy response independent of federal oversight. Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land has grown significantly in recent decades, raising concerns about food security, resource control, and rural community impacts that states increasingly want to track.

Potential points of contention

  • Administrative burden: Duplicate filing requirements may create compliance costs for foreign purchasers and administrative overhead for the state agriculture department
  • Effectiveness of state-level tracking: The federal AFIDA system already collects this data; it's unclear what additional enforcement or policy action Tennessee can take with state-only information
  • Foreign relations considerations: Some may view state-level foreign investment restrictions or heightened scrutiny as overlapping with federal authority over international commerce and relations

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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