Texas state Rep. Cole Hefner, center, speaks to fellow state representatives in the House chamber at the State Capitol in Austin. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)
The bill is in direct response to real-world events.
Hefner cited the 2021 case of a retired Chinese general acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base.
"We've [also] seen the attempt of foreign actors or hostile foreign adversaries to buy land close to food processing plants," Hefner said. "And it's just something that we have found the more we dig into it, the more we find that there's a lot of things we don't know and a lot of vulnerabilities that are out there."
The bill prohibits entities and individuals affiliated with governments designated as national security threats, based on the U.S. Director of National Intelligence’s annual assessments, from purchasing real estate if those purchases pose risks to public health or safety.
The law empowers the state's attorney general to investigate, block and even reverse such land deals through court-ordered receivership.
TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BILL TO BAN GENDER CHANGES ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES
The Texas State Capitol in Austin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
He also stressed that SB17 should not be seen as a partisan move. "It shouldn't be a partisan issue. This is about national security. This is about keeping our citizens safe," said Hefner. "It's not about Republican or Democrat, it's not liberal or conservative. It is just taking care of our people.
"And I believe that's the, you know, the number one responsibility of the government is to make sure that people can live free and safe in their state."
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SB17 is set to take effect Sept. 1. Hefner said he hopes the legislation sparks a nationwide effort.
"We need to wake up," he said. "This is about securing the homeland, not playing politics."
Fox News Digital's Nick Butler contributed to this report.
Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-pushes-back-against-foreign-land-grab-strongest-bill-nation-against-china-iran-russia