Senate Bill 219 aims to tighten restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land and real property in Wisconsin. The bill repeals certain existing provisions and introduces new limitations, specifically reducing the maximum acreage that a covered foreign person can own from 640 acres to 50 acres of agricultural land. It also specifies that the acreage limit applies only to land classified as agricultural for property tax purposes, eliminating broad exceptions that previously allowed foreign ownership of unlimited non-agricultural land. Additionally, the bill increases the threshold for an entity to be classified as a foreign-owned entity or a foreign beneficiary trust from 20% to 25% ownership by nonresident aliens or foreign entities.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits covered foreign persons from acquiring any real property within 10 miles of military installations and outright bans foreign adversaries, as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, from owning any real property in the state. The divestiture period for foreign persons who exceed the acreage limit is reduced from four years to three years, and any interests acquired in violation of the bill are subject to forfeiture to the state. The attorney general is designated as responsible for enforcement of these provisions.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 710.01, 710.02(title), 710.02