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FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Legislation that would ban some foreign entities from purchasing agricultural land in Kentucky was approved by the House on Friday.

House Bill 315 is sponsored by Rep. Scott Sharp, R-Ashland, who described its provisions to his colleagues on the House floor.

“It would prevent hostile nations to the United States from acquiring agricultural land in our commonwealth, and also around our military installations,” he said. “This is a bill that passed on the House floor last year, sponsored by former Rep. Heath. I did take a paragraph out to strengthen the bill.”

Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, noted that the Kentucky Bankers Association testified in committee that they had concerns about the bill, and asked Sharp if he had spoken with them regarding those concerns.

Sharp replied, “They sent me a text with changes they would like to have to the bill, but I did not get a chance to get an amendment done in time. That’s going to have to happen in the Senate. I talked to the Bankers Association this morning to let them know and told them I would talk with the Senator who is going to carry the bill and suggest that they contact him also.”

The bill passed 93-0 and now heads to the Senate.

In other action, the House approved HB 87 on a 92-0. It would require hiring or licensing authorities to establish an application process that gives persons convicted of a crime an opportunity to obtain a determination about whether the crime will disqualify the individual from a position of public employment or occupational license before pursuing training.

HB 437 had a little closer vote, at 87-6. It deals with the appointment of county Alcoholic Beverage Control administrators and investigators to provide that a county investigator shall not have the power to make arrests unless he or she is certified to have had law enforcement training.

The General Assembly will reconvene next Tuesday in Frankfort.