HB 315 Kentucky House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to the acquisition of agricultural land.

Summary
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 247 to define terms; prohibit a nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary associated with the government of any proscribed country referenced in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1 from the purchase, lease, or acquisition of agricultural land in Kentucky or participation in programs administered by the Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Development Board, and Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation; allow a nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary to own, purchase, hold, or develop agricultural land for nonagricultural use provided that the development is completed within five years of acquiring the land; require that a copy of the report required under the provisions of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act be filed with the Department of Agriculture; require the Department of Agriculture to report evidence of noncompliance to the Office of the Attorney General; require the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the evidence; allow the Office of the Attorney General to enforce provisions; require that agricultural land found in violation be escheated to the state and be subject to judicial foreclosure; set requirements for disbursement of proceeds of the sale.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Mar 2025
Introduced Feb 5, 2025 Signed Mar 25, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 5 edits
MODERATE
HB 315 was amended to expand eligibility for foreign agricultural land ownership and clarify enforcement procedures. The bill now allows entities with national security agreements to purchase up to 350 acres for specific research and experimental purposes, replacing the previous restrictions on nonresident aliens. The document was also renumbered from a bill reference to an engrossed version with updated page counts.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from restricting nonresident aliens to allowing any entity with a national security agreement to acquire agricultural land for research purposes, while maintaining restrictions on foreign governments with proscribed country ties.
ELIGIBILITY

Changed eligibility from nonresident aliens to any entity with a national security agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States

REQUIREMENT

Added specific permitted uses for the 350-acre land limit including agricultural research, experimental purposes, crop production inputs, seeds, plants, pesticides, soil amendments, biologicals, and fertilizers

Revised subsection references from (3) and (4) to (3) through (5) to reflect new content structure

ENFORCEMENT

Added new subsection allowing existing foreign businesses in the Commonwealth to purchase land adjacent to their current operations for business expansion

TECHNICAL

Updated document metadata including page count from 3 to 4 and bill reference from BR 370 to HB 315/EN

Floor votes · House Feb 28, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
28
Key actions
11
Committee
9
Amendments
2
Mar 25, 2025
Signed into law
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 84)
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed 89-1
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (3)
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (3)
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed 34-2 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (3)
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Introduced
floor amendments (2) and (3) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
to Agriculture (S)
upper
Mar 4, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Feb 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 93-0
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
lower
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
to Agriculture (H)
lower
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Feb 5, 2025
Introduced
introduced in House
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.