AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025

This bill amends the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) to add a new reporting requirement for foreign persons with at least a 1% interest in agricultural land, and to strengthen enforcement and data validation by the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center (FPAC-BC). It also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), update the AFIDA handbook, and analyze a streamlined electronic submission process.

Sec. 2, Reporting; Enforcement: The bill adds a new reporting requirement under AFIDA: if more than one foreign person acquires or transfers any interest (other than a security interest) in agricultural land, each foreign person who holds at least a 1% interest in that land, either directly through the first tier of ownership or in the aggregate through interests in other entities at various tiers, must report. It also amends enforcement by directing the FPAC-BC to validate data collected under AFIDA, ensure compliance with the new 1% reporting rule, and coordinate with the Farm Service Agency to identify persons subject to civil penalties.

Sec. 3, Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Improvements: The Secretary of Agriculture must, within one year, enter into one or more memoranda of understanding with CFIUS to provide all relevant information from AFIDA reports, including the identity of the person submitting the report and the date of submission. The Secretary must also update the Farm Service Agency handbook 'Foreign Investment Disclosure' within one year, incorporating recommendations from a January 2024 Government Accountability Office report, and then update it every 10 years. If a streamlined electronic submission and retention process required by a 2023 law is not established within one year, the FPAC-BC, in coordination with the Farm Service Agency, must analyze the steps needed and develop a timeline for implementation benchmarks, and the Secretary must report that analysis and timeline to the Senate and House Agriculture Committees.