Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XXI. Agriculture and Animals § 247.018.Definitions; purchase, lease, or acquisition of agricultural land by nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary for government of proscribed country; prohibitions and conditions; review of report; violations

(1) As used in this section:

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, except as provided in subsections (3) to (5) of this section, on or after June 27, 2025, a nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary who has a legal relationship with or is legally bound to take instruction from or execute decisions for the government of any proscribed country referenced in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1, as amended, shall be prohibited from:

(3) Any agricultural land purchased, leased, or acquired by a nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary who has a legal relationship with or is legally bound to take instruction from or execute decisions for the government of any proscribed country referenced in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1, as amended, prior to June 27, 2025, may continue to own or hold the agricultural land, but shall not purchase, lease, or acquire any additional agricultural land or interest in agricultural land in this Commonwealth.

(4) Any entity that has a national security agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and continues to maintain that national security agreement may purchase, lease, or acquire a maximum of three hundred fifty (350) acres of agricultural land for the purposes of:

(5) A nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary may own, purchase, hold, or develop agricultural land for immediate or potential nonagricultural use in an amount necessary for the conduct of its nonagricultural business operation, including the filing of any permit or application to any state or federal agency having jurisdiction over the project for permitting purposes, provided that:

(6) Nothing in this section shall prohibit an existing foreign business located in the Commonwealth who has a legal relationship with or is legally bound to take instruction from or execute decisions for the government of any proscribed country referenced in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1, as amended, from purchasing, leasing, or acquiring agricultural land adjacent to the land that the foreign business owns and operates in order to expand the operation of its business.

(7) Nothing in this section shall exempt a nonresident alien, foreign business, foreign agent, trustee, or fiduciary who has a legal relationship with or is legally bound to take instruction from or execute decisions for the government of any proscribed country referenced in 22 C.F.R. sec. 126.1, as amended, from:

(8) The Department of Agriculture shall review any report:

(9) If the Department of Agriculture has reason to believe that a violation of this section may have occurred, the department shall refer evidence of noncompliance to the Office of the Attorney General, which shall investigate the evidence for violations of this section. The Office of the Attorney General may bring an action pursuant to KRS Chapter 15 to enforce the provisions of this section.