Committee advances House Bill 1479 to bar China from buying Arkansas farmland

The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development committee voted to advance House Bill 1479 after Representative Puryer introduced the measure and described it as a targeted restriction on foreign ownership of agricultural land.

"Specifically prohibits China from purchasing agricultural land in Arkansas," Representative Puryer said while presenting the bill and noting it was narrower than an alternate Senate proposal. He told the committee he had been a cosponsor of the broader Senate measure and believed the bills "could coexist together." Representative Puryer said enforcement in HB 1479 would be handled through the Attorney General's office.

Committee members asked for differences between HB 1479 and Senate Bill 383; Representative Puryer said the other bill would rely on the ITAR list of restricted parties and involve Department of Agriculture processes, while HB 1479 is China-specific and would route enforcement to the Attorney General.

After the presentation, the chair called for a motion. A motion to pass the bill was offered and seconded; the committee voice-voted "aye," and the chair announced the bill had passed out of committee. The transcript records the voice vote but does not record individual roll-call votes or named tallies.

The bill's proponents said the measure would set a clear state policy on foreign ownership of agricultural land. Questions from members focused on enforcement responsibility and whether a narrower, China-specific ban or a broader ITAR-list approach is the better statutory vehicle.

Next steps: the committee advanced HB 1479 to the chamber floor with a do-pass recommendation; further floor debate and any amendments would occur in later legislative proceedings.