Nashville, TN – As 2025 begins, there are new Tennessee laws that will go into effect. January 1st, 2025 was the first date that certain laws passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in the last legislative session took effect. Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville) fought to protect land in Tennessee from hostile foreign nations.
“Tennessee’s greatest asset is its agriculture and farmland,” said Powers. “I am happy to announce that this bill will protect both of those by cracking down on foreign adversaries attempting to acquire our land.”
On January 1st, the new laws sponsored and co-sponsored by Powers include:
Protecting Tennessee property from foreign adversaries further protected Tennessee from land being purchased to hostile foreign nations. This bill prevents prohibited foreign parties designated by the federal government from owning or acquiring property in the state unless certain conditions are met.
The new law strengthens a similar law passed last year with stricter protections and reporting requirements. Any prohibited foreign party or business that currently owns land in the state would have to divest itself from the property within two years, according to the bill.
The Office of Agriculture Intelligence would also be created within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to collect data and analyze information regarding the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land statewide.
