I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1361 

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 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 concerned 

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’’. 


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•HR 1361 IH

1 SEC. 2. WORKING GROUP TO RECOMMEND DEFINITION OF 

2 BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

5 Commerce shall establish within the Department of Com6 merce a working group to be known as the ‘‘Blockchain 

7 Working Group’’. 

8 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Blockchain Working 

10 Group shall be composed of a number of members 

11 to be determined by the Secretary, to be appointed 

12 in accordance with paragraph (2). 

13 (2) APPOINTMENT.— 

14 (A) REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL

15 AGENCIES.—The Secretary shall designate Fed16 eral agencies to be represented on the Block17 chain Working Group, as the Secretary con18 siders appropriate to ensure representation of a 

19 cross-section of Federal agencies that could use 

20 or benefit from blockchain technology. The head 

21 of each agency so designated shall appoint an 

22 officer or employee of such agency to serve as 

23 a member of the Blockchain Working Group. 

24 (B) REPRESENTATIVES OF NONGOVERN25 MENTAL STAKEHOLDERS.— 


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1 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

2 appoint representatives of nongovern3 mental stakeholders with respect to block4 chain technology to serve as members of 

5 the Blockchain Working Group. 

6 (ii) REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN

7 STAKEHOLDERS REQUIRED.—The members 

8 of the Blockchain Working Group ap9 pointed under clause (i) shall include rep10 resentatives of the following: 

11 (I) Information and communica12 tions technology manufacturers, sup13 pliers, software providers, service pro14 viders, and vendors. 

15 (II) Subject matter experts rep16 resenting industrial sectors other than 

17 the technology sector that the Sec18 retary determines can benefit from 

19 blockchain technology. 

20 (III) Small, medium, and large 

21 businesses. 

22 (IV) Individuals and institutions 

23 engaged in academic research relating 

24 to blockchain technology. 


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•HR 1361 IH

1 (V) Nonprofit organizations and 

2 consumer advocacy groups engaged in 

3 activities relating to blockchain tech4 nology. 

5 (VI) Rural and urban stake6 holders. 

7 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

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

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Block10 chain Working Group shall submit to Congress a re11 port that contains— 

12 (A) a recommended definition of the dis13 tributed ledger technology commonly referred to 

14 as ‘‘blockchain technology’’; and 

15 (B) recommendations for— 

16 (i) a study to be conducted by the As17 sistant Secretary of Commerce for Com18 munications and Information, in coordina19 tion with the Federal Communications 

20 Commission, on the impact of blockchain 

21 technology on electromagnetic spectrum 

22 policy; 

23 (ii) a study that examines a range of 

24 potential applications, including non-finanVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1361.IH H1361

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1 cial applications, for blockchain technology; 

2 and 

3 (iii) opportunities within Federal 

4 agencies to use blockchain technology. 

5 (2) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN

6 DRAFT NIST REPORT.—In making recommendations 

7 under paragraph (1), the Blockchain Working Group 

8 may consider any recommendations contained in the 

9 draft of National Institute of Standards and Tech10 nology Internal Report 8202, entitled ‘‘Blockchain 

11 Technology Overview’’, that was released in January 

12 2018. 

13 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

14 (1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

15 agency’’ means an agency, as defined in section 551 

16 of title 5, United States Code. 

17 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

18 the Secretary of Commerce. 

Æ 


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