Kansas committee hears bill to bar certain foreign principals from buying land near military installations

The House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development opened a hearing on House Bill 2290, which would prohibit a “foreign principal” as defined in the bill from directly or indirectly acquiring any interest in nonresidential real property located within 100 miles of the boundary of any military installation in Kansas or an adjacent state, and would require registration of covered interests with the Kansas attorney general.

Supporters said the measure is intended to protect military facilities and critical infrastructure from foreign-adversary influence. "We're at war," Majority Leader Chris Croft said in remarks to the committee, adding that foreign adversaries use economic means and land ownership to gather intelligence and threaten national security. "We must be proactive about this, about defending America," Croft said.

The bill, described to the committee by staff, excludes residential real property and includes a de minimis exception. A foreign principal that owns or acquires a prohibited interest must register the interest with the attorney general within 90 days of the act's effective date or the date the interest is acquired. If a foreign principal acquires a prohibited interest and fails to register, the attorney general may seek divestment; a court can order divestment within 180 days, award injunctive relief, or order civil forfeiture of the foreign principal's interest. The attorney general may also agree to extensions of up to 360 days to complete divestment.

Sections 10 and 11 of the bill amend provisions of the Kansas Standard Asset Seizure and…