(NAFB) – Senate lawmakers Thursday announced the bipartisan Food Security is National Security Act. The legislation would give top U.S. agriculture and food officials permanent representation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Lawmakers say the legislation includes new agriculture and food-related criteria for the committee to consider when reviewing transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign company. Senate Republicans Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa joined Democrats Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Jon Tester of Montana to introduce the legislation.

Stabenow says, “As foreign entities continue their acquisitions of U.S. food and agriculture companies, American farmers and families deserve to know these transactions receive proper scrutiny.”

To protect U.S. food security, the legislation grants permanent representation on Committee on Foreign Investment to both the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of HHS, which oversees the Food and Drug Administration.