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Bochen Han

A Republican bill to restrict property ownership in Texas by citizens of China passed the state’s House of Representatives on Friday, gaining new momentum after failing to become law two years ago.
The Texas House voted to advance the bill, which currently also targets nationals from Iran, North Korea and Russia – countries identified by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard as national security threats – after adding a provision on Thursday to give the state’s governor broad powers to include more countries.
It now goes back to the Senate, which approved an earlier version in March. If passed by both chambers before the end of the legislative session in June, it would go to the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, who has signalled he would sign it into law.
Proponents of the bill, known as SB17, say it is crucial to protecting Texans from influence by foreign adversaries.
“This is the strongest legislation in the nation to protect our land from hostile foreign intent, keeping Texas property in the hands of those who respect our freedoms and share our values,” Republican state representative Cole Hefner, one of the bill’s primary House sponsors, said in a post on social media on Thursday.


Critics, including many Democratic representatives and Asian-American groups, have denounced the bill as xenophobic and discriminatory.
Among them is Jason Yuan, a board member of the Texas Asian American Association, who called the bill a “deeply alarming step backward”.
“It brings back the same kind of discriminatory spirit as the Chinese Exclusion Act, targeting people based solely on national origin and immigration status,” Yuan said.
“If SB17 were law when I fled a tyrannical communist government, I would not have been able to live my American dream,” Democratic state representative Hubert Vo, who fled Vietnam after the 1975 North Vietnamese victory, said on social media on Thursday.
“Texas should proudly welcome those who play by the rules and not brand them as traitors,” he said.
As it stands, the bill’s restrictions do not apply to those with green cards, or US permanent residency. An amendment to the bill that sought to exempt those with valid visas was approved, but it is unclear that it will remain in the final version.
Republican state senator Lois Kolkhorst, one of SB17’s primary Senate sponsors, first proposed the legislation to limit land and other real estate purchases by citizens and entities from the same group of countries in 2023, but it died after backlash in the state. In its original form, the bill would have applied to green card holders.
That effort has led to a surge of activism in Texas since 2023. Rallies against SB17 have been held in multiple cities in recent weeks, including Austin, Dallas and Houston. Another protest is scheduled for Saturday in front of the state capitol in Austin.
According to the New York-based Committee of 100, which promotes Chinese-Americans’ participation in US life, 84 bills restricting foreign property ownership were under consideration in 27 US states as of March 17, although not all of them target Chinese citizens explicitly.
Similar national efforts under way as well. Earlier this week, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing that her department is working on a federal plan to limit Chinese ownership of US farmland.
However, laws restricting foreign ownership of land are starting to see court challenges, such as in the case of Florida, where a federal appeal court is taking up a lawsuit by four Chinese immigrants.
Texas is home to an estimated 1.5 million Asian-Americans, many of whom, according to critics, may be caught in the crossfire if the bill becomes law.
“Nobody around here knows the difference between Chinese and Taiwanese or Japanese or Vietnamese,” said Democratic state representative Gene Wu, adding: “When the attacks come, when the hate crimes start, it will be against Asians.”


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Measure also targets nationals from Iran, North Korea and Russia as it gives the state’s governor broad powers to include more countries


Measure also targets nationals from Iran, North Korea and Russia as it gives the state’s governor broad powers to include more countries.


Republican-backed bill to limit Chinese property ownership gains ground in Texas

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Measure also targets nationals from Iran, North Korea and Russia as it gives the state’s governor broad powers to include more countries

Measure also targets nationals from Iran, North Korea and Russia as it gives the state’s governor broad powers to include more countries