II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 553 

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 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WORKING GROUP TO RECOMMEND DEFINITION OF 

7 BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 


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•S 553 IS

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

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

3 United States Code; and 

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

5 of Commerce. 

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

7 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es8 tablish within the Department of Commerce a working 

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

10 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Blockchain Working 

12 Group shall be composed of members, the number of 

13 whom shall be determined by the Secretary, and who 

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

15 (2) APPOINTMENT.— 

16 (A) REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL

17 AGENCIES.— 

18 (i) DESIGNATION OF FEDERAL AGEN19 CIES.—The Secretary shall designate Fed20 eral agencies to be represented in the 

21 Blockchain Working Group, as the Sec22 retary considers appropriate to ensure rep23 resentation of a cross-section of Federal 

24 agencies that could use, or benefit from, 

25 blockchain technology. 


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1 (ii) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.— 

2 The head of each Federal agency des3 ignated under clause (i) shall appoint an 

4 officer or employee of the Federal agency 

5 to serve as a member of the Blockchain 

6 Working Group. 

7 (B) REPRESENTATIVES OF NONGOVERN8 MENTAL STAKEHOLDERS.— 

9 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

10 appoint representatives of nongovern11 mental stakeholders with respect to 

12 blockchain technology to serve as members 

13 of the Blockchain Working Group. 

14 (ii) REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN

15 STAKEHOLDERS REQUIRED.—The members 

16 of the Blockchain Working Group ap17 pointed under clause (i) shall include rep18 resentatives of— 

19 (I) information and communica20 tions technology manufacturers, sup21 pliers, software providers, service pro22 viders, and vendors; 

23 (II) subject matter experts rep24 resenting industrial sectors, other 

25 than the technology sector, that the 


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1 Secretary determines could use, or 

2 benefit from, blockchain technology; 

3 (III) small, medium, and large 

4 businesses; 

5 (IV) individuals and institutions 

6 engaged in academic research relating 

7 to blockchain technology; 

8 (V) nonprofit organizations and 

9 consumer advocacy groups engaged in 

10 activities relating to blockchain tech11 nology; and 

12 (VI) rural and urban stake13 holders. 

14 (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

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

16 the date of enactment of this Act, the Blockchain 

17 Working Group shall submit to Congress a report 

18 that contains— 

19 (A) a recommended definition of the dis20 tributed ledger technology commonly known as 

21 ‘‘blockchain technology’’; and 

22 (B) recommendations for— 

23 (i) a study to be conducted by the As24 sistant Secretary of Commerce for Com25 munications and Information, in coordinaVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:16 Mar 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S553.IS S553

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1 tion with the Federal Communications 

2 Commission, on the impact of blockchain 

3 technology on electromagnetic spectrum 

4 policy; 

5 (ii) a study to examine a range of po6 tential applications, including nonfinancial 

7 applications, for blockchain technology; 

8 and 

9 (iii) opportunities for Federal agencies 

10 to use blockchain technology. 

11 (2) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN

12 NIST INTERNAL REPORT 8202.—In making rec13 ommendations under paragraph (1), the Blockchain 

14 Working Group may consider any recommendations 

15 contained in National Institute of Standards and 

16 Technology Internal Report 8202, entitled 

17 ‘‘Blockchain Technology Overview’’ and published in 

18 October 2018. 

Æ 


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