II 

Calendar No. 373 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 553 

[Report No. 116–177] 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a working group to recommend to Congress a definition of blockchain technology, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 

Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

DECEMBER 17, 2019 

Reported by Mr. WICKER, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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•S 553 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blockchain Promotion 

3 Act of 2019’’. 

4 SEC. 2. WORKING GROUP TO RECOMMEND DEFINITION OF 

5 BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. 

6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

7 (1) the term ‘‘Federal agency’’ has the meaning 

8 given the term ‘‘agency’’ in section 551 of title 5, 

9 United States Code; and 

10 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

11 of Commerce. 

12 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

13 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es14 tablish within the Department of Commerce a working 

15 group to be known as the ‘‘Blockchain Working Group’’. 

16 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Blockchain Working 

18 Group shall be composed of members, the number of 

19 whom shall be determined by the Secretary, and who 

20 shall be appointed in accordance with paragraph (2). 

21 (2) APPOINTMENT.— 

22 (A) REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL

23 AGENCIES.— 

24 (i) DESIGNATION OF FEDERAL AGEN25 CIES.—The Secretary shall designate Fed26 eral agencies to be represented in the 


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•S 553 RS

1 Blockchain Working Group, as the Sec2 retary considers appropriate to ensure rep3 resentation of a cross-section of Federal 

4 agencies that could use, or benefit from, 

5 blockchain technology. 

6 (ii) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.— 

7 The head of each Federal agency des8 ignated under clause (i) shall appoint an 

9 officer or employee of the Federal agency 

10 to serve as a member of the Blockchain 

11 Working Group. 

12 (B) REPRESENTATIVES OF NONGOVERN13 MENTAL STAKEHOLDERS.— 

14 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

15 appoint representatives of nongovern16 mental stakeholders with respect to 

17 blockchain technology to serve as members 

18 of the Blockchain Working Group. 

19 (ii) REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN

20 STAKEHOLDERS REQUIRED.—The members 

21 of the Blockchain Working Group ap22 pointed under clause (i) shall include rep23 resentatives of— 

24 (I) representatives of information 

25 and communications technology manVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:20 Dec 18, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S553.RS S553

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•S 553 RS

1 ufacturers, suppliers, software pro2 viders, service providers, and vendors; 

3 (II) subject matter experts rep4 resenting industrial sectors, other 

5 than the technology sector, that the 

6 Secretary determines could use, or 

7 benefit from, blockchain technology; 

8 (III) representatives of small, me9 dium, and large businesses; 

10 (IV) individuals and representa11 tives of institutions engaged in aca12 demic research relating to blockchain 

13 technology; 

14 (V) representatives of nonprofit 

15 organizations and consumer advocacy 

16 groups engaged in activities relating 

17 to blockchain technology; and 

18 (VI) representatives of rural and 

19 urban stakeholders. 

20 (C) NO PAY FOR MEMBERS.—A member of 

21 the Blockchain Working Group shall serve with22 out pay. 

23 (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

25 the date of enactment of this Act, the Blockchain 


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•S 553 RS

1 Working Group shall submit to Congress a report 

2 that contains— 

3 (A) a recommended definition of the dis4 tributed ledger technology commonly known as 

5 ‘‘blockchain technology’’; and 

6 (B) recommendations for— 

7 (i) a study to be conducted by the As8 sistant Secretary of Commerce for Com9 munications and Information, in coordina10 tion with the Federal Communications 

11 Commission, on the impact of blockchain 

12 technology on electromagnetic spectrum 

13 policy; 

14 (ii) a study to examine a range of po15 tential applications, including nonfinancial 

16 applications, for blockchain technology; 

17 and 

18 (iii) opportunities for Federal agencies 

19 to use blockchain technology. 

20 (2) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN

21 NIST INTERNAL REPORT 8202.—In making rec22 ommendations under paragraph (1), the Blockchain 

23 Working Group may consider any recommendations 

24 contained in National Institute of Standards and 

25 Technology Internal Report 8202, entitled 


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•S 553 RS

1 ‘‘Blockchain Technology Overview’’ and published in 

2 October 2018. 

3 (e) TERMINATION.—The Blockchain Working Group 

4 shall terminate on the date on which the Blockchain Work5 ing Group submits to Congress the report under subsection 

6 (d)(1). 


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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
Calendar No. 373 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 553 

[Report No. 116–177] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a 

purposes. nition of blockchain technology, and for other working group to recommend to Congress a defiDECEMBER 17, 2019 

Reported with amendments 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS