NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9031
SPONSOR: Gallahan TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the real property law, in relation to prohibiting the
sale or lease of any property in the state by the People's Republic of
China or the Chinese communist party
PURPOSE::
To protect New York's food supply, farmland, businesses, and housing
market from foreign influence and control by prohibiting the Chinese
government, the Chinese Communist Party, and affiliated entities from
owning, leasing, or controlling any property in New York State.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1: Adds a new Article 17 to the Real Property Law, creating
Section 530, which prohibits any person or entity from leasing, selling,
offering to sell, conveying, or transferring any interest in real prop-
erty in New York State to:
*The People's Republic of China,
*The Chinese Communist Party, or
*Any affiliated entities.
This section also grants enforcement authority to the New York State
Attorney General, including the power to seek injunctive or declaratory
relief in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date of the legislation as the
thirtieth days after becoming law.
JUSTIFICATION::
Foreign ownership of American land and property, particularly by an
adversarial regime like the Chinese Communist Party, poses significant
national and state security risks. In recent years, entities affiliated
with the Chinese government have increasingly sought to purchase farm-
land and property near sensitive infrastructure and supply chains. These
acquisitions threaten not only our food independence but also the integ-
rity of our markets and the privacy of our citizens.
New York State is home to a number of strategically important military
installations, including Fort Drum, Fort Hamilton, West Point, Waterv-
liet Arsenal, Camp Smith, Stewart Air National Guard Base, Stratton Air
National Guard Base, Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base,
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Niagara Falls Air Reserve
Station, and the Naval Support Activity Saratoga Springs. The proximity
of potential foreign-owned land to these military complexes raises seri-
ous concerns about espionage, surveillance, and other forms of foreign
interference. New York State has a duty to ensure that strategic
resources like military bases, farmland, businesses, and residential
housing are protected from foreign control. This legislation closes a
dangerous loophole and aligns New York with growing bipartisan efforts
across the country to safeguard land from foreign adversaries. The bill
prioritizes the rights of New York families, farmers, and communities
over the interests of hostile foreign governments.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it has become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9031
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
September 5, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GALLAHAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to prohibiting the
sale or lease of any property in the state by the People's Republic of
China or the Chinese communist party
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The real property law is amended by adding a new article 17
2 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 17
4 PROHIBITING THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY
5 TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
6 Section 530. Sale of real property to the People's Republic of China
7 prohibited.
8 § 530. Sale of real property to the People's Republic of China prohib-
9 ited. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it shall be unlaw-
10 ful for any person or entity to lease, sell, offer to sell, convey or
11 transfer any interest in any real property located in this state to the
12 People's Republic of China or to the Chinese communist party, or any
13 affiliated entities.
14 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the attorney general
15 shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of this section by
16 applying, in the name of the people of the state of New York, to the
17 supreme court of the state of New York for an order enjoining the
18 continuance of such violative activity, including but not limited to
19 bringing an action for injunctive or declaratory relief if any real
20 property is in the process of being or has been sold or leased in
21 violation of this section.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
23 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13593-01-5
