Idaho measure would require foreign “adversaries” to register landholdings, bar purchases near military ranges

Representative Ted Hill (R.-District 14) told the Idaho House State Affairs Committee that RS 32150C2 would require entities the bill defines as foreign adversaries to register ownership of agricultural land, mining claims or mineral rights within 60 days and to sell within 180 days of enactment, and authorizes enforcement by the state Attorney General through district court foreclosure if owners do not comply.

Hill said the bill also would prohibit leases or purchases of land or dwellings near designated military training ranges. He said the bill relies on the federal list used to identify foreign adversaries in Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (cited in discussion as section 593.3) and that the Attorney General’s office reviewed the draft language. “This legislation will take one step further ... any foreign adversaries that own agricultural land, mining claims or mineral rights must register this ownership within 60 days and sell within 180 days of enactment of this legislation,” Hill said.

Hill used Syngenta, an agribusiness company he said is ultimately owned by interests tied to China, as an example of why the bill is needed. He described efforts by other states and the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) as context for state-level action.

Committee members pressed Hill on implementation questions. Representative Stephanie Mickelson asked whether a forced sale followed by a sale to a domestic farmer who continues seed trials for the original company would leave a backdoor for continued operations; Hill replied such leasebacks could occur and acknowledged that would be a potential loophole. Representative Shubin asked whether the bill’s whistleblower provision might encourage harassment; Hill said the provision targets specific, verifiable concerns and that qualifying whistleblowers would be those with direct knowledge (company employee, neighbor or similar), not anonymous tipsters.

Representative Boyle asked whether Hill meant the Department of Commerce when he referenced a federal list; Hill confirmed he meant the U.S. Department of Commerce and said the federal list is updated by executive action. Hill said he revised how liquidation proceeds would be prioritized and that the Attorney General had reviewed the changes and was “comfortable with the language” though not formally endorsing the bill.

After discussion, Representative Holtzclaw moved to introduce RS 32150C2; the committee voted to introduce the measure.

What the bill would require and what it would not: the draft text cited by Hill sets a 60-day registration window and a 180-day forced-sale deadline for owners the measure labels foreign adversaries; enforcement is described as civil foreclosure by the Attorney General in district court. The bill text, as explained to the committee, points to the federal regulatory list in Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations for the moving definition of which countries/entities are designated foreign adversaries.

The committee did not take final enactment votes on the policy; the action taken in the meeting was to introduce RS 32150C2 so it could be scheduled for further hearings.

Ending

RS 32150C2 will proceed to further committee consideration. Committee members requested clarifications and said they might propose amendments addressing whistleblower definitions, leaseback scenarios and the mechanics of liquidation before the RS returns for a formal hearing.