House Bill 219 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, Chapter 2, Part 3, by introducing a new section that establishes reporting requirements for foreign persons involved in agricultural land investments. The bill defines "foreign person" in accordance with the federal Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act and mandates that any foreign person required to report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture must also file a copy of that report with the Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture. Failure to comply will result in a civil penalty of up to 25% of the fair market value of the agricultural land in question, which the Attorney General may pursue in court.

Additionally, the bill grants the Commissioner of Agriculture the authority to create rules to implement these provisions, which must be in line with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. The new regulations will take effect upon becoming law and will apply to reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture starting July 1, 2025. The section will remain in effect until the federal Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act is repealed, at which point the Commissioner is required to notify the Tennessee Code Commission of the repeal.