KOLKHORST’S BILL PROTECTING TEXAS LAND FROM ADVERSARIAL OWNERSHIP PASSES SENATE

  

A bill co-authored by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst that seeks to prevent foreign governmental ownership of Texas property has passed the Senate.

Senate Bill 17, also known as the Adversarial Land Ownership Act, was approved on a 24-7 vote and now heads to the Texas House.  The bill would prohibit the purchase of Texas real property by foreign governmental entities, companies and individuals if they are from countries deemed hostile by the Director of National Intelligence’s Annual Threat Assessment reports. 

Currently, those countries are Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, though using the Annual Threat Assessment would allow for flexibility with any changes in foreign relations.

In a press release announcing the bill’s passage, Kolkhorst called it “the most comprehensive prohibition on adversarial control of land and natural resources in the U.S.”  She added, “This legislation will ensure that hostile nations do not control Texas’ most precious assets.  This is a matter of national security.  Texas must act now to protect our land, food sources, water, and natural resources.”

SB 17 is a follow-up to Kolkhorst’s SB 147 from the 2023 legislative session.  That bill passed the Senate but failed to pass the Texas House. 

Per the release, the legislation was prompted after a Chinese company with connections to the Chinese Communist Party purchased 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base in Val Verde County in 2021. 

Should the bill fully pass and be signed into law, Kolkhorst said the Attorney General will oversee enforcement, with the authority to investigate potential violations and initiate divestment proceedings against prohibited entities. 

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said many Texans have expressed increasing concerns on this matter and thanked Kolkhorst for “her continued leadership on this essential state and national security issue.”