Crimes and punishment; property; foreign nationals; making certain acts unlawful; penalties; codification; effective date.

Updated the bill header from 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' to 'House Committee Substitute' and changed the request number from 16020 to 16906 to reflect the House Committee's final approval.

The penalty for violating the law was reduced from a Class D1 felony to a standard felony, with a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

The definition of 'straw person or party' was shortened by removing detailed examples of how these individuals act in transactions.

The bill title was updated to reflect the Policy Committee Substitute status, and the page numbering was reset.

The bill was reclassified from an Act relating to property to an Act relating to crimes and punishments.

New definitions were added for 'foreign national' (non-US citizen/national who entered the US by fraud) and 'straw person or party' (a third party used to conceal a foreign national's identity).

It became unlawful for any person to knowingly purchase property on behalf of a foreign national, and such violations are now punishable as a Class D1 felony.

New exemptions were added for deeds that confirm, correct, or supplement previously recorded deeds, or deeds made to cure title defects.

The requirement for a county clerk to accept an affidavit was removed in the new version.

The effective date was changed from November 1, 2023, to November 1, 2026.