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Senate adopts bill barring land conveyances to foreign entities labeled "hostile"
Summary
The Arizona Senate on Feb. 24, 2025 approved Senate Bill 10-66, which bars conveyance of land in Arizona to foreign entities the bill defines as "hostile to The United States," after adopting a Finchem floor amendment that ties that definition to U.S. Director of National Intelligence threat assessments.
The Arizona Senate on Feb. 24, 2025 voted to pass Senate Bill 10-66, a measure that prohibits conveyance of land in Arizona to foreign entities the bill describes as "hostile to The United States," after adopting a sponsor's floor amendment that ties that definition to annual threat assessments from the U.S. Director of National Intelligence.
The amendment, offered and explained on the floor by Senator Mark Finchem, replaces a legislative-approval condition with a straight prohibition and "removes the identification submission requirements to the Arizona Department of Real Estate," and, he said, "defines a foreign entity that is hostile to The United States as a country that is identified by The United States Director Of National Intelligence as a country that poses a risk to the national security of The United States." The Senate adopted the committee and floor amendments and then gave the bill a due-pass recommendation.
The measure drew criticism on constitutional grounds. Senator QB, explaining a no vote, said the bill "could be a violation of the equal protection clause under the Fourteenth Amendment as it targets individuals based on national origin and citizenship status," and warned that land-ownership restrictions keyed to changing federal threat assessments could create inconsistent policy across administrations.
Senators voted to pass the bill on third reading; the secretary recorded the final tally as 17 ayes and 13 nays. The Senate instructed the secretary to record the action and transmit the bill to the House.
Why this matters: supporters framed the bill as a national-security safeguard on state-held land transactions. Opponents said it risks constitutional challenges and intrudes into areas of federal authority on foreign relations and commerce.
Procedural notes: the bill was reported from committee, amended on the floor, and passed on third reading. The Senate's record shows adoption of the committee amendment, adoption of the sponsor's floor amendment, and a final passage vote. The measure will move to the Arizona House for further consideration.
Provenance: transcript excerpts of the committee report, Finchem's floor explanation, an exchange expressing concern, and the roll-call vote appear in the Senate floor transcript for Feb. 24, 2025.
