Sen. Jason Anavitarte Majority Caucus Chair, District 31, Republican | Georgia General Assembly
Sen. Jason Anavitarte Majority Caucus Chair, District 31, Republican | Georgia General Assembly
Legislation aimed at safeguarding Georgia’s agricultural interests, food supply, and national security has been sent to Governor Brian P. Kemp for approval. Sponsored by Sen. Jason Anavitarte, Senate Bill 420 is set to prohibit perilous foreign adversaries from owning agricultural land or land within a 10-mile radius of crucial military sites in Georgia.
Senator Anavitarte, reflecting on the passing of this significant legislation, emphasized, "the Chinese government essentially validated our longstanding suspicions of their willingness to undermine our national security, as evidenced by their deployment of spy balloons over military installations just last year. I take great pride in authoring this legislation, and I am confident that it will shield all Georgians while prioritizing homeland security."
The bill, crafted in response to a 2021 Department of Agriculture report, revealed China's ownership of 384,000 acres of American agricultural land, a 30% increase from 2019 to 2020. The move comes after instances like the attempt by a Chinese entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party to purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota in 2022, raising concerns about national security and food supply.
SB 420 complies with federal fair housing regulations, exempting primary residences and outlining timeframes for covered nonresident aliens to divest agricultural properties they own or may acquire in the future.
Sen. Jason Anavitarte, Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus representing Senate District 31, including Paulding and Polk Counties, can be contacted at 404.656.9221 or Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.
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