Legislation to strengthen private property rights was approved in the House of Representatives by a vote of 365-65.
Supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the legislation does not allow states that receive federal economic development funding from exercising eminent domain for private economic development. The bill, Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2013 (HR 1944), also prohibits the use of eminent domain for economic development by the federal government.
If a state uses eminent domain for private economic development, it would lose all federal economic development funding for two years.
The issue is not expected to be addressed in the Senate this year.