Chamber approves rules that limit the expropriation of rural lands.

The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that restricts the criteria for expropriation of rural properties. The measure affects properties intended for agrarian reform and limits state action only to unproductive lands that simultaneously fail to meet all the requirements of their social function. The text now goes to the Federal Senate for evaluation.

The proposal, authored by Representatives Rodolfo Nogueira (PL-MS) and Zucco (PL-RS), amends Law 8.629/93. The rapporteur, Pedro Lupion (PP-PR), presented a substitute bill that tightens the legal requirements for the loss of land ownership.

The bill stipulates that non-compliance with the social function of a property can only occur through a final and unappealable court decision. In the environmental case, it removes from the law the requirement to maintain ecological balance and the health of neighboring communities. Instead, the owner must only comply with the rules of the Forest Code.

Regarding labor, the bill excludes obligations related to rural lease and partnership agreements. Failure to fulfill the social function of the work will only be recognized after a final conviction for a crime against labor relations.

The new wording also eliminates the requirement that rural activity promote well-being without generating social conflicts. The Constitution already protects productive properties as long as they fulfill their social function, which includes rational land use, environmental preservation, respect for labor laws, and the well-being of those involved.

Representative Pedro Lupion stated that the text offers more clarity on the criteria for expropriation and avoids subjective interpretations. According to the author of the proposal, Rodolfo Nogueira, the measure strengthens property rights and legal security in rural areas.