Bill barring Chinese land ownership moves to governor

Lydia Nusbaum contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – A bill aiming to prohibit Chinese government agencies, businesses and citizens from owning land Florida received final passage from the Florida Legislature.

The proposed bill would effectively ban the purchase or acquisition of real estate by the People’s Republic of China.

Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, and Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, carried the legislation, which was spearheaded by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

“Are we going to live in a free society where democracy, individual liberties, and that the United States is the strongest country in the world?” Borrero said. “Or are we going to reward totalitarian regimes in communist countries by allowing them to purchase up our land here in the United States of America?”

There was bipartisan support as it passed out of the House 95-17 and out of the Senate 31-8.

The bill also refers to the prohibition of such activities by any individual who is “domiciled” in China and is not a U.S. citizen. 

The bill includes a provision that affects Floridians who were born and raised in the People’s Republic of China but have not yet obtained lawful permanent residency, commonly known as a “Green Card.” 

This provision applies directly to a significant portion of the state’s Chinese population, comprising 53,000 individuals or 1.2% of all immigrants in Florida.

The bill also prohibits a governmental entity from knowingly entering into a contract with an entity that would give access to an individual’s personal identifying information if the government of a “foreign country of concern” has a controlling interest in the entity.

A “foreign country of concern” refers to the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro and the Syrian Arab Republic.

Foreign principals would also be banned from purchasing agricultural land after July 1.

A foreign principal that directly or indirectly owns agricultural land in Florida would be required to register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

A foreign principal is referred to as the government or any official of the government of a foreign country of concern, or political party in a foreign country of concern, according to the bill.

These foreign principals would not be allowed to directly or indirectly purchase land near any military installation in Florida.

Democrat Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the bill could lead to discrimination against people buying houses.

“We could be discriminating against someone who looks Asian because they want to buy a house,” Eskamani said.

“I still have concerns with the criminal penalties because we could potentially be creating an environment where someone does not want to sell to someone because they’re Asian American, because they will also be held liable for that.”

Borrero said the bill does not discriminate against Chinese citizens.

“If you are lawful permanent residents in the United States, God bless you. Purchase all the land you want over here,” he said.

In December 2022, Simpson, along with Collins and Borrero, announced the proposal to restrict foreign control of Florida agriculture land and strategic military lands.

“China now controls nearly 200,000 acres of agricultural land in the U.S., leaving our food supply chain, our water quality and our national security interests vulnerable to the Chinese Communist Party,” Simpson said.

“We have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to safe, affordable and abundant food and water supply,” he said.