PASS Act of 2025

This bill amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to strengthen national security by enhancing the review of foreign investments in the United States agricultural sector. It achieves this by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and significantly expanding CFIUS's jurisdiction to cover foreign investments in U.S. businesses engaged in agriculture or agricultural biotechnology , as well as the purchase or lease of private real estate used in agriculture by foreign persons. The legislation mandates the prohibition of transactions where a "covered foreign person" would gain control or invest in U.S. agricultural businesses or real estate. Covered foreign persons are defined as those acting on behalf of, or citizens/entities from, specific "prohibited countries" , including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The President may waive these prohibitions on a case-by-case basis if vital to national security, with a report to Congress. Furthermore, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit regular reports on the risks foreign agricultural purchases pose to the U.S. agricultural sector.