H.R. 8722House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a memoranda of understanding with CFIUS with respect to reports under AFIDA and to update the AFIDA handbook.

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Updated May 12, 2026 at 8:21 AM UTC

The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to formalize cooperation with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and to improve guidance on the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). It requires a memorandum of understanding that shares report details and foreign investor identities, and it mandates updates to the USDA’s Foreign Investment Disclosure handbook using recent GAO recommendations. The measures affect the USDA, CFIUS, and any foreign persons owning or seeking to own U.S. farm land.

Key Provisions

Within one year, the Secretary of Agriculture must sign one or more memoranda of understanding with CFIUS to provide all relevant information from AFIDA reports, including each report’s details and the identities of foreign persons involved.
Within two years, the Secretary must update the USDA’s “Foreign Investment Disclosure” handbook, incorporating recommendations from the GAO’s January 2024 report on foreign agricultural land investments.
After the initial update, the handbook must be revised every ten years, again including any GAO recommendations.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

May 11, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 11, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

May 11, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 11, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8722

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 11, 2026

Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a memoranda of understanding with CFIUS with respect to reports under AFIDA and to update the AFIDA handbook.

Implementation of AFIDA

(a)

MOU with CFUIS

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into 1 or more memoranda of understanding with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States under which the Secretary shall provide the Committee with all relevant information relating to reports on foreign ownership of United States agricultural land submitted to the Secretary under section 2 of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501), including information on—

(1)

each report submitted to the Secretary under such section; and

(2)

with respect to each such report, the identity of the foreign persons included in the report and the date of submission.

(b)

AFIDA handbook updates

(1)

First update

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall—

(A)

update the most recent version of the Farm Service Agency handbook titled Foreign Investment Disclosure as determined necessary by the Secretary for the effective implementation of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.); and

(B)

incorporate in such update the recommendations made by the report of the Government Accountability Office titled Foreign Investments in U.S. Agricultural Land: Enhancing Efforts to Collect, Track, and Share Key Information Could Better Identify National Security Risks and dated January 18, 2024.

(2)

Subsequent updates

After carrying out the update of the handbook under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out an update of such handbook every 10 years thereafter, including by incorporating any recommendations of the Government Accountability Office.