COLUMBUS – The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 226 sponsored by State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, to protect American military installations and critical infrastructure from foreign adversaries.

“It is absurd to think that our adversaries can purchase land within close distance to our state’s military hubs and infrastructure sites, threatening our national security,” Johnson said. “Communist Chinese firms and companies alone own 380,000 acres of our country’s farmland. Ohio’s land should not be for sale to those who seek to destroy the American way of life. Senate Bill 226 protects us against this obvious danger. While many states in America have yet to see this as a threat to our national security, that it is, Ohio is fully aware and moving this bill forward will send a clear message to not just the People’s Republic of China, but to all of America’s recognized adversaries”

The legislation specifically prevents individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments from specific foreign countries from buying land within 25 miles of a military installation, such as bases or airports, or critical infrastructure facilities. The list of individuals and entities is compiled by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office using specific guidelines, including the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s foreign adversaries list and the terrorist exclusion list.

Senate Bill 226 now heads to the Ohio House for consideration.