SC House Panel Advances Bill Banning Foreign Adversaries from Buying State Land

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Day.News) — A South Carolina House panel on April 4, 2026, advanced H. 3408, a bill prohibiting companies owned or controlled by U.S.-declared foreign adversaries from owning, leasing or controlling any real estate in the state. Sponsored by a bipartisan group of House Republicans, the legislation specifically names the People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, Russian Federation, Iran and North Korea. It declares any violating transactions void, vesting title in the state without compensation to the foreign entity. The measure builds on national security worries, with lawmakers citing over 800 acres of South Carolina agricultural land already in foreign adversary hands — 'more than we should allow,' one panel member stated during debate captured in a YouTube report. Proponents highlighted risks near military installations like Joint Base Charleston and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, echoing Florida's upheld Senate Bill 264, which bans similar ownership within 10 miles of bases. As of late 2025, 36 states have enacted restrictions on foreign purchases of agricultural land and critical areas. Under H. 3408, added to Chapter 1, Title 27 of the South Carolina Code as Section 27-1-80, the state attorney general could sue to eject violators, quiet title or nullify deals in circuit court where the property sits. Liens on seized properties remain valid but non-foreclosable during state ownership. The bill carves out exceptions to avoid conflicting with U.S. treaties. Now heading to the full House, the legislation arrives as federal scrutiny of foreign land buys intensifies, with pending legal challenges in other states. South Carolina's push aligns with a 2025-2026 session focus on protecting farmland vital to the state's $42 billion agriculture industry, home to over 24,000 farms across the Palmetto State.