HB1069

South Dakota currently restricts non-resident aliens from buying more than 160 acres of agricultural land, and this bill expands that restriction to also prohibit foreign governments and government-controlled businesses from acquiring any agricultural land in the state. The bill defines "foreign government" to mean any government other than the U.S. and its states or territories, and "state-controlled enterprise" to mean a business where a foreign government has more than 50% ownership or control. This new prohibition closes a loophole that previously allowed foreign governments to purchase farmland in South Dakota.