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Senate removes confidentiality for certain foreign-interest farm-land registrations and sends substitute bill to governor
Summary
The Senate adopted an amendment removing confidentiality for registrations of foreign interests in agricultural land and approved a substitute House file (HF 2678) by a unanimous 46-0 roll call; the sponsor said the change helps the secretary of state stop fraudulent filings and report registrations publicly.
Senator Westridge opened discussion of a secretary-of-state measure and explained that the amendment from the House conforms the code so that registrations of foreign interests in agricultural land are no longer confidential with the secretary of state and will appear in the annual report to the governor and the general assembly.
"Current code requires that any foreign interest in agricultural land shall register the land with the secretary of state," Senator Westridge said, and the amendment "strikes the confidentiality of those registrations both with the secretary of state and in the annual report of such registrations to the governor and the general assembly." He described the policy as a tool to "stop bad actors."
The Senate adopted Senate Amendment 52-29 by voice vote, then the sponsor asked unanimous consent to substitute House File 2678 for Senate File 2402; with no objections the substitution was ordered. The secretary read House File 2678, the Senate recorded 46 ayes and 0 nays, declared the bill passed, and the sponsor withdrew the original Senate File 2402.
The measure changes the confidentiality status of specified registrations and requires public reporting to state leadership; supporters framed the change as a transparency and anti-fraud step for agricultural land oversight.
