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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1622 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1622

Emphasizing the importance and power of distributed ledger technologies 
(DLT) to support democratic governance, human rights, internet freedom, 
                           and transparency.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2024

    Mr. Amo (for himself and Mrs. Kim of California) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Emphasizing the importance and power of distributed ledger technologies 
(DLT) to support democratic governance, human rights, internet freedom, 
                           and transparency.

Whereas distributed ledger technologies (DLT), including various forms of 
        blockchain technology, offers significant potential benefits for 
        strengthening democratic governance, enhancing transparency, promoting 
        human rights, and supporting sustainability;
Whereas DLT's ability to ensure the integrity, authentication, and verification 
        of shared information is critical for the effective delivery of 
        democratic governance and services to citizens;
Whereas DLT has been applied in diverse areas such as identity management, land 
        rights, citizen representation, tracking of goods and services, and has 
        shown potential to improve government accountability, combat 
        misinformation, and facilitate transparent financial transactions;
Whereas DLT has the potential to enhance the resiliency of democratic 
        institutions against corruption, misinformation, and inefficiencies by 
        providing a tamper-resistant and transparent platform for the recording 
        and verification of transactions and data;
Whereas DLT provides an innovative solution to combat censorship and empower 
        people around the world by enabling the creation of decentralized 
        platforms that safeguard free expression and access to information by 
        routing traffic through nodes in jurisdictions with robust legal 
        frameworks for digital rights;
Whereas the use of DLT in securing digitized government documents, land 
        registration, facilitating financial transfers, countering deep fakes, 
        and advancing justice and the rule of law demonstrates its versatility 
        and potential to support democratic processes and human rights;
Whereas the strategic application of DLT can also address global challenges, 
        contribute to sustainability, and ensure more inclusive access to 
        services without compromising privacy or stifling technological 
        innovation;
Whereas DLT solutions can enhance the integrity, transparency, and efficiency of 
        distributing aid by supporting, for example, direct cash transfers, 
        reducing intermediaries, lowering costs, and speeding up delivery;
Whereas DLT's decentralized design boosts the resilience of essential systems by 
        spreading data across multiple nodes, which avoids single points of 
        failure and ensures continuous service, even during targeted attacks or 
        local disruptions, and such resilience is crucial for keeping data 
        intact and available in sectors vital to democratic governance and 
        humanitarian aid, helping these systems stay robust and functional under 
        different stress conditions;
Whereas the innovative applications of DLT are still in the early stages, 
        requiring further exploration, understanding, and supportive policy 
        frameworks to fully realize their potential in strengthening 
        democracies; and
Whereas the DLT community is committed to ensuring responsible use of DLT 
        technology and promoting the United States national security interests: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the Department of State, the Development Finance 
        Corporation, the United States Agency for International 
        Development, and other agencies of the United States Government 
        to explore and support the development and application of 
        distributed ledger technologies to strengthen democratic 
        governance, promote human rights, enhance transparency, and 
        support sustainability efforts and humanitarian aid delivery;
            (2) encourages the promotion of the distributed ledger 
        technologies to combat censorship and ensure the free flow of 
        information as a cornerstone of democracy and human rights, 
        acknowledging the technology's role in enabling citizens to 
        access restricted content and express themselves freely, 
        thereby contributing to the global spread of democratic values 
        and the protection of freedom of speech;
            (3) calls for deeper engagement from the United States 
        Government with technology experts, civil society, and 
        international partners to understand the opportunities 
        presented by distributed ledger technologies and its most 
        practical applications, ensuring its responsible and effective 
        use;
            (4) affirms the importance of United States leadership in 
        developing a regulatory and policy framework that encourages 
        the ethical use of distributed ledger technologies, while 
        promoting sustainability and addressing concerns such as 
        accessibility and the risk of misuse by malign actors; and
            (5) encourages further research, innovation, and investment 
        in distributed ledger technologies that can contribute to the 
        public good, strengthen democratic institutions, and ensure the 
        integrity of democratic processes.
                                 <all>
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