WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Pete Sessions today announced a formal federal partnership with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to advance legislation establishing Agriculture Freedom Zones (AFZs) nationwide, recognizing that food security is national security and must be treated as a strategic federal priority. Farmland is the foundation of America’s food security, and the families who steward that land sustain our national strength through its productive use.

The proposed legislation will create a voluntary, incentive-based federal framework designed to protect America’s most productive farmland while responsibly guiding large-scale development toward areas less critical to domestic food production. The initiative reflects growing concerns about the rapid conversion of prime agricultural land and the long-term implications for America’s supply chain resilience, water resources, and national sovereignty.

Agriculture Freedom Zones would align federal tax policy with strategic land-use priorities by encouraging resource-intensive development, such as data centers, renewable energy facilities, and other major infrastructure projects, to locate in marginal lands, brownfields, arid regions, or areas with existing infrastructure capacity. By doing so, the policy seeks to preserve irreplaceable farm and ranchland that underpins America’s domestic food supply.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating:

“Congressman Pete Sessions has seen firsthand the dramatic impact data center expansion is having on landowners, family-run agricultural operations, and rural Texas communities,” Commissioner Miller said. “These facilities consume vast amounts of land and water resources that are vital to food production and our national security. He shares my belief that a properly structured tax incentive could help restore balance by encouraging responsible siting decisions and protecting the agricultural resources that sustain rural America.”

Congressman Sessions underscored that safeguarding agricultural capacity is not simply an economic concern, but a matter of national defense and strategic independence.

“At a time of global instability and increasing competition, America cannot afford to weaken its agricultural foundation,” said Congressman Sessions. “Our farmers and ranchers feed our nation and support global markets. If we allow prime farmland and critical water resources to be permanently lost without a national strategy, we risk compromising our food supply and our national security. This legislation ensures we protect our agricultural strength while continuing to support innovation and economic growth.”

Under the forthcoming federal bill, Agriculture Freedom Zones would unlock targeted federal tax incentives, including capital gains tax deferrals, reduced long-term investment rates, and tax-free appreciation for extended holdings. The incentives are designed to steer growth away from prime agricultural land and toward areas more suitable for development.

Congressman Sessions represents Texas’ 17th Congressional District, which includes rural communities and agricultural producers who form a critical part of the state and national economy. Through this federal partnership with Commissioner Miller, he aims to establish Agriculture Freedom Zones as a nationwide framework that balances responsible development with the protection of America’s food-producing capacity.

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