H.R. 4454 (119th)Bill Overview

SOIL Act of 2025

International Affairs|International Affairs
Cosponsors
Support
Republican
Introduced
Jul 16, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the S…

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

This bill amends Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 to bar ‘‘covered foreign countries’’ (defined as China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and entities controlled by or acting on their behalf) from purchasing, leasing, or receiving concessions on property within 10 miles of certain ‘‘sensitive sites’’ in the United States. Sensitive sites are defined to include air or maritime ports, U.S. military installations, other government facilities deemed sensitive by the Committee, and any property the Committee determines could enable intelligence collection or foreign surveillance of national security activities.

Why people may split

Degree of support for categorical bans vs. case-by-case, risk-based review: conservatives favor categorical prohibition; centrists and liberals prefer clearer definitions and narrower targeting.

Watch point

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive policy change that clearly establishes a narrow prohibition and certain definitional parameters but leaves substantial implementation, enforcement, fiscal, and procedural detail to the delegated 'Committee' or to future action.

This bill amends Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 to bar ‘‘covered foreign countries’’ (defined as China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and entities controlled by or acting on their behalf) from purchasing, leasing, or receiving concessions on property within 10 miles of certain ‘‘sensitive sites’’ in the United States.

Sensitive sites are defined to include air or maritime ports, U.S. military installations, other government facilities deemed sensitive by the Committee, and any property the Committee determines could enable intelligence collection or foreign surveillance of national security activities.

The prohibition applies to transactions made on or after the law’s enactment.

Passage40/100

The bill is a targeted national‑security restriction with limited fiscal impact, which helps its prospects; measures restricting adversary‑state influence often receive support. But it raises significant federalism, implementation, and legal clarity questions (broad Committee discretion, impact on state property regimes, unclear enforcement tools) and lacks built‑in compromises (no sunset or narrow waivers). Those features increase the risk of opposition, amendment, and litigation, lowering the overall likelihood of enactment.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive policy change that clearly establishes a narrow prohibition and certain definitional parameters but leaves substantial implementation, enforcement, fiscal, and procedural detail to the delegated 'Committee' or to future action.

Contention50/100

Degree of support for categorical bans vs. case-by-case, risk-based review: conservatives favor categorical prohibition; centrists and liberals prefer clearer definitions and narrower targeting.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Likely helpedLocal governments · Lenders

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Potential benefitReduces potential opportunities for foreign intelligence collection near military bases, ports, and other designated se…
  • Potential benefitProvides a straightforward, geographically scoped rule that could simplify screening and enforcement compared with case…
  • Potential benefitMay protect the operational security of critical infrastructure (ports, military installations) and thereby reduce risk…
Likely burdened
  • Local governmentsLikely reduces inbound real estate investment from the listed countries within broad 10-mile zones, which critics could…
  • LendersCreates additional regulatory burden and compliance uncertainty for property buyers, sellers, real estate brokers, and…
  • Potential burdenContains broad, somewhat undefined delegations to the Committee (e.g., defining other government "sensitive" facilities…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Degree of support for categorical bans vs. case-by-case, risk-based review: conservatives favor categorical prohibition; centrists and liberals prefer clearer definitions and narrower targeting.
Progressive60%

A mainstream liberal would likely view the bill as a national-security-focused restriction that can be justified in some cases, but would have concerns about potential racial or national origin profiling, overbroad executive discretion, and impacts on civil liberties and community members with ties to the named countries.

They would note the value of protecting military and sensitive government sites from potential foreign surveillance, while emphasizing the need for strong due process, non-discrimination safeguards, and transparency.

The liberal view would seek precise, narrow definitions and oversight to avoid sweeping measures that could harm innocent private owners or U.S. residents with foreign heritage.

Split reaction
Centrist65%

A mainstream centrist would generally see the bill as a reasonable, targeted national security measure but would flag practical and legal questions about the statute’s scope and implementation.

They would appreciate a bright‑line rule for known adversary states near military installations and ports, yet want clearer statutory definitions, predictable processes for property owners, and an explanation of enforcement mechanisms and costs.

Centrists would weigh the national-security benefits against property rights, trade implications, and potential international fallout.

Split reaction
Conservative85%

A mainstream conservative would likely strongly favor the bill’s objective of blocking adversary states from obtaining land near ports and military installations, viewing it as a straightforward national security and sovereignty protection.

They would see the prohibition as a necessary prevention measure against espionage and potential kinetic vulnerability.

Some conservatives might raise questions about federal overreach into property markets or prefer market-based or state-level solutions, but the bill’s explicit focus on named strategic adversaries and sensitive sites will likely make it appealing to the conservative security instinct.

Leans supportive
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood40/100

The bill is a targeted national‑security restriction with limited fiscal impact, which helps its prospects; measures restricting adversary‑state influence often receive support. But it raises significant federalism, implementation, and legal clarity questions (broad Committee discretion, impact on state property regimes, unclear enforcement tools) and lacks built‑in compromises (no sunset or narrow waivers). Those features increase the risk of opposition, amendment, and litigation, lowering the overall likelihood of enactment.

Scope and complexity
52%
Scopemoderate
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • How the Committee will operationalize and publish standards for what qualifies as a "sensitive site," and how that discretion will be constrained or reviewed.
  • What enforcement mechanisms and penalties (if any) would be used to prevent or reverse prohibited transactions under state property law—text lacks explicit enforcement detail.
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Degree of support for categorical bans vs. case-by-case, risk-based review: conservatives favor categorical prohibition; centrists and libe…

The bill is a targeted national‑security restriction with limited fiscal impact, which helps its prospects; measures restricting adversary‑…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive policy change that clearly establishes a narrow prohibition and certain definitional parameters but leaves substantial implementation, enforcement, f…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
Open full analysis