Texas lawmakers are charging ahead with what they call the nation’s strongest legislative effort yet to block hostile foreign powers from purchasing land in the Lone Star State.
Championed by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, Senate Bill 17 (SB17) is designed to stop governments and entities tied to countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from gaining a foothold on Texas soil.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hefner described SB17 as “model legislation” aimed at shutting down land purchases that pose a national security threat.
“This bill is about actions and affiliations, not race, not nationality,” Hefner said. “If you’re acting on behalf of a hostile foreign adversary, we’re going to take that land back.”
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Texas state Rep. Cole Hefner, center, speaks to fellow state representatives in the House chamber at the State Capitol in Austin. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)
The bill is in direct response to real-world events.
Hefner cited the 2021 case of a retired Chinese general acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base.
“We’ve [also] seen the attempt of foreign actors or hostile foreign adversaries to buy land close to food processing plants,” Hefner said. “And it’s just something that we have found the more we dig into it, the more we find that there’s a lot of things we don’t know and a lot of vulnerabilities that are out there.”
The bill prohibits entities and individuals affiliated with governments designated as national security threats, based on the U.S. Director of National Intelligence’s annual assessments, from purchasing real estate if those purchases pose risks to public health or safety.
The law empowers the state’s attorney general to investigate, block and even reverse such land deals through court-ordered receivership.
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Pump jacks line a field in Luling, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Under SB17, “real property” includes agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential land as well as mines, minerals, and timber. The law includes key exemptions for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and property intended as a personal homestead.
“The strong points of our bill is that it can apply to anyone if we can prove they’re acting as an agent,” said Hefner. “So even if they’re from a friendly country, but they’re actually on behalf of a foreign adversary, then they will be subject to the bill.”
The bill gives the attorney general investigative powers, and authority to appoint receivers to manage or sell properties acquired in violation of the law.
Hefner pushed back hard on critics who claim the bill is xenophobic. “This has nothing to do with skin color or ethnicity,” he said. “It’s about protecting Texans and Americans from foreign espionage and influence.”
The Texas State Capitol in Austin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
He also stressed that SB17 should not be seen as a partisan move. “It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. This is about national security. This is about keeping our citizens safe,” said Hefner. “It’s not about Republican or Democrat, it’s not liberal or conservative. It is just taking care of our people.
“And I believe that’s the, you know, the number one responsibility of the government is to make sure that people can live free and safe in their state.”
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SB17 is set to take effect Sept. 1. Hefner said he hopes the legislation sparks a nationwide effort.
“We need to wake up,” he said. “This is about securing the homeland, not playing politics.”
Fox News Digital’s Nick Butler contributed to this report.
