Explanation of House Bill DRH40100-MQ-7: NC Farmland and Military Protection Act
The purpose of this bill is to prevent foreign governments that are considered adversarial by the United States Department of State from purchasing or acquiring agricultural land and land near military installations in North Carolina. The goal is to protect the state's agricultural land for local farmers to produce food and resources for the benefit of the people of North Carolina and the United States. The bill defines terms such as adversarial foreign government, agricultural land, controlling interest, interest, military installation, and state-controlled enterprise.
Specifically, the bill prohibits adversarial foreign governments from buying, leasing, or holding any interest in agricultural land or land within a 75-mile radius of a military installation. Any transfer of land in violation of this rule would be considered void. The responsibility for determining if someone is an adversarial foreign government falls to the foreign government and the state of North Carolina, not individuals or other entities. The bill also includes provisions for dealing with any parts of the act that may be deemed unconstitutional.