August 20, 2026
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To prohibit the exercise of eminent domain over agricultural land, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Not In My Barn Yard Act
.
Sec. 2. Prohibition on exercise of eminent domain over agricultural land
(a) Prohibition
The Federal Government may not exercise eminent domain over any agricultural land if a feasible alternative to the public use for which the Government seeks to exercise eminent domain is available.
(b) Application to pending exercises of eminent domain
The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any exercise of eminent domain that commenced before the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Agricultural land defined
The term agricultural land
—
(1)
means land in the United States that is used, as of the date on which the Government seeks to exercise eminent domain, or has been used during the previous 5-year period, for farming, ranching, forestry production, or timber production; and
(2)
does not include land not exceeding ten acres in the aggregate, if the annual gross receipts from the sale of the farm, ranch, forestry, or timber products produced thereon do not exceed $1,000.