Committee hears proposal to bar ownership of Alaska agricultural land by citizens of listed 'foreign adversaries'; invited witnesses from other states testify

Senate Bill 139, introduced by Senator Shelley Hughes, would restrict ownership or acquisition of agricultural land in Alaska by citizens of designated foreign adversary countries and includes enforcement provisions that could allow the attorney general to seize and sell lands found in violation.

Sponsor materials presented by a legislative intern summarized the proposal as a three-part restriction: bar ownership by citizens of countries designated by the federal government as foreign adversaries, prohibit acquisitions within 100 miles of military installations, and limit access by foreign-adversary‑owned entities to critical infrastructure or cybersecurity systems. The intern named six countries identified in the presentation as foreign adversaries (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela) and described a four-step enforcement path: a report to the attorney general, an investigation, seizure and sale of violating lands, with net proceeds placed into the state general fund after returning the landowner portion as specified.

The committee heard invited testimony from officials in other states that have pursued similar laws. Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward described Arkansas' 2023 law restricting ownership by adversary countries and recounted enforcement actions; Representative Kendall Culp (Indiana) and Representative Scott Sharp (Kentucky) described comparable state measures in their legislatures designed to protect farmland, military installations and critical infrastructure. Public testimony included Lieutenant General David Crum (ret.) stressing national-security concerns about foreign ownership near military facilities and David Crum (Big Lake) recommending the committee pass the bill. Leonardo Wassily also provided public comment earlier endorsing strengthened local food-security protections.

Committee members and guests discussed legal definitions, the list of adversary countries (some witnesses recommended tying the list to federal code sections that designate adversaries), and practical questions about leases, existing contracts, mortgages, and exemptions for U.S. citizens who also hold foreign citizenship. Senator Hughes characterized the bill as preventive legislation intended to safeguard military installations, agricultural productivity and community security. The chair left SB139 open for further hearings and set the measure aside to return at a future session.