Assembly Bill 30
Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state
Topics: Farmland preservation, Forestry, International relations
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 17, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 7. That version was vetoed.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill generally prohibits a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state. In the bill, “foreign adversary” means a foreign government or nongovernment person determined by the federal secretary of commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of U.S. persons.
Current law generally prohibits a nonresident alien or a corporation that is not created under federal law or the laws of any state (foreign person) from acquiring, owning, or holding more than 640 acres of land in this state. However, that prohibition does not apply to any of the following activities:
Read the full summary Show less
1. An exploration mining lease and land used for certain mining and associated activities.
2. Certain manufacturing activities.
3. Certain mercantile activities.
4. A lease for exploration or production of oil, gas, coal, shale, and related hydrocarbons, including by-products of the production, and land used in connection with the exploration or production.
Those exceptions have been interpreted to be “extremely broad, embracing almost every conceivable business activity [other than a]ctivities relating to agriculture and forestry.” See Opinion of Wis. Att’y Gen., OAG 11-14, ¶5, available at https://www.doj.state.wi.us. In other words, under current law, a foreign person may acquire, own, and hold unlimited amounts of land for most nonagricultural and nonforestry purposes, but a foreign person may not acquire, own, or hold more than 640 acres of land for agricultural or forestry purposes.
The bill retains the current law restriction on foreign person ownership of agricultural and forestry land and adds a provision that prohibits a foreign adversary from acquiring any land for agricultural or forestry purposes.
Who's behind it
18 representatives are its . All 18 are Republicans.
4 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (18)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (4)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara · Republican, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Agriculture vote on an amendment
Passed, 11 to 4 · Jan 14, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Agriculture, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Agriculture vote to recommend it
Passed, 11 to 4 · Jan 14, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Agriculture, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jan 14, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jan 14, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 4.
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Oct 21, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 18, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 17, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture.
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Feb 17, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Penterman, Behnke, Allen, Armstrong, Brill, Brown, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Sortwell, Steffen, Wichgers and Tusler; cosponsored by Senators Jacque, Cabral-Guevara and Nass
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture
- Feb 18, 2025 · Assembly
Representative O'Connor added as a coauthor
- Apr 24, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Penterman
- Oct 21, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 6, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Penterman
- Jan 8, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Brown withdrawn as a coauthor
- Jan 8, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Agriculture, Ayes 11, Noes 4
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Agriculture, Ayes 11, Noes 4
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 1-22-2026 by Committee on Rules
- Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote