Blockchain Promotion Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1361 To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a working group to rec- ommend to Congress a definition of blockchain technology, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 26, 2019 Ms. MATSUI (for herself and Mr. GUTHRIE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con- cerned A BILL To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a working group to recommend to Congress a definition of blockchain technology, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blockchain Promotion 4 Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 1361 IH SEC. 2. WORKING GROUP TO RECOMMEND DEFINITION OF 1 BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. 2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 3 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 4 Commerce shall establish within the Department of Com- 5 merce a working group to be known as the ‘‘Blockchain 6 Working Group’’. 7 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Blockchain Working 9 Group shall be composed of a number of members 10 to be determined by the Secretary, to be appointed 11 in accordance with paragraph (2). 12 (2) APPOINTMENT.— 13 (A) REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL 14 AGENCIES.—The Secretary shall designate Fed- 15 eral agencies to be represented on the Block- 16 chain Working Group, as the Secretary con- 17 siders appropriate to ensure representation of a 18 cross-section of Federal agencies that could use 19 or benefit from blockchain technology. The head 20 of each agency so designated shall appoint an 21 officer or employee of such agency to serve as 22 a member of the Blockchain Working Group. 23 (B) REPRESENTATIVES OF NONGOVERN- 24 MENTAL STAKEHOLDERS.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 1361 IH (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 1 appoint representatives of nongovern- 2 mental stakeholders with respect to block- 3 chain technology to serve as members of 4 the Blockchain Working Group. 5 (ii) REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN 6 STAKEHOLDERS REQUIRED.—The members 7 of the Blockchain Working Group ap- 8 pointed under clause (i) shall include rep- 9 resentatives of the following: 10 (I) Information and communica- 11 tions technology manufacturers, sup- 12 pliers, software providers, service pro- 13 viders, and vendors. 14 (II) Subject matter experts rep- 15 resenting industrial sectors other than 16 the technology sector that the Sec- 17 retary determines can benefit from 18 blockchain technology. 19 (III) Small, medium, and large 20 businesses. 21 (IV) Individuals and institutions 22 engaged in academic research relating 23 to blockchain technology. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 1361 IH (V) Nonprofit organizations and 1 consumer advocacy groups engaged in 2 activities relating to blockchain tech- 3 nology. 4 (VI) Rural and urban stake- 5 holders. 6 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 8 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Block- 9 chain Working Group shall submit to Congress a re- 10 port that contains— 11 (A) a recommended definition of the dis- 12 tributed ledger technology commonly referred to 13 as ‘‘blockchain technology’’; and 14 (B) recommendations for— 15 (i) a study to be conducted by the As- 16 sistant Secretary of Commerce for Com- 17 munications and Information, in coordina- 18 tion with the Federal Communications 19 Commission, on the impact of blockchain 20 technology on electromagnetic spectrum 21 policy; 22 (ii) a study that examines a range of 23 potential applications, including non-finan- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 1361 IH cial applications, for blockchain technology; 1 and 2 (iii) opportunities within Federal 3 agencies to use blockchain technology. 4 (2) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN 5 DRAFT NIST REPORT.—In making recommendations 6 under paragraph (1), the Blockchain Working Group 7 may consider any recommendations contained in the 8 draft of National Institute of Standards and Tech- 9 nology Internal Report 8202, entitled ‘‘Blockchain 10 Technology Overview’’, that was released in January 11 2018. 12 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 13 (1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 14 agency’’ means an agency, as defined in section 551 15 of title 5, United States Code. 16 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 17 the Secretary of Commerce. 18 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS