IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1108 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that blockchain has 

incredible potential that must be nurtured through support for research 

and development and a thoughtful and innovation-friendly regulatory 

approach. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 

Mr. SCHWEIKERT (for himself, Mr. POLIS, and Mr. EMMER) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology, 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 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

blockchain has incredible potential that must be nurtured 

through support for research and development and a 

thoughtful and innovation-friendly regulatory approach. 

Whereas blockchain refers to software that uses a distributed 

digital ledger of cryptographically signed transactions 

that are grouped into blocks, each of which— 

(1) is cryptrographically linked to the previous block 

after validation and undergoing a consensus decision; 

(2) when added as a new block, makes any older 

blocks more difficult to modify; and 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 1108 IH 

(3) is replicated across all copies of the ledger within 

the relevant network, with any conflicts in such blocks resolved automatically using established rules; 

Whereas blockchain can— 

(1) reduce transaction costs by removing intermediaries; 

(2) increase the transparency of a transaction; 

(3) reshape value chains; 

(4) improve organizational efficiency through trustworthy decentralization; 

(5) provide individuals with greater control over personally identifiable information through encryption while 

conducting transparent, secure, and efficient transactions; 

(6) accurately capture asset ownership and location 

throughout the lifetime of an asset, protecting owners 

and improving tax compliance; 

(7) improve public safety and administration by providing a tamper-proof audit trail; 

(8) reduce the efficacy of cyber-attacks by storing 

data in numerous distributed copies; and 

(9) improve the quality of public services by providing a better customer experience and reducing transaction costs; 

Whereas because blockchain is an evolving technology, it requires a framework that facilitates innovation, provides 

for legal certainty, and respects the principle of technology neutrality while also providing protection for consumers, businesses, investors, society, and the environment; 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 1108 IH 

Whereas uncertainty related to the application of horizontal 

regulations related to data protection and taxation can 

inhibit the development of blockchain; 

Whereas blockchain has the potential to provide widespread, 

mainstream improvements in digital services; 

Whereas because the risks and challenges of blockchain are 

not yet known, more research and development is necessary; 

Whereas blockchain has many potential applications, including— 

(1) production and peer-to-peer exchange of environmentally friendly energy and scalability and flexibility for 

energy plant operators, suppliers, and consumers; 

(2) improvements in the transportation sector, including with respect to mobility and logistics, registration 

and administration of vehicles, verification of driving distances, smart insurance, and charging of electronic vehicles; 

(3) improvements in the healthcare sector, including 

improved reporting on clinical trials, and digital data exchange controlled by patients; 

(4) supply chain improvements, including improved 

shipment tracking and monitoring, transparency, and 

compliance with legal and ethical standards; 

(5) improvements in education including degree 

verification, encrypted educational certifications, and 

credit transfer mechanisms; and 

(6) assistance in protecting control of creative content by copyright holders and ensuring copyright holders 

are compensated for use of the content; 

Whereas blockchain can allow users to control information 

about themselves shared on the internet, choosing the apVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Sep 28, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1108.IH HR1108

amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 1108 IH 

propriate degree of transparency for a particular application; 

Whereas blockchain can support the development of a new architecture for digital identities; 

Whereas because digital identities are imperative to the future, best practices should be established to ensure that 

data is secure; 

Whereas blockchain is protected by cryptography that replaces third-party intermediaries, validating, safeguarding, and preserving transactions; 

Whereas public trust in blockchain is improved by the development and use of open-source protocols and platforms; 

Whereas a smart contract is a collection of code and data 

stored on blockchain that enables the automatic execution 

of the terms of a contract upon the occurrence of a preprogrammed condition; 

Whereas a thorough assessment of the potential uses and the 

legal implications of smart contracts is necessary; 

Whereas it is necessary to closely monitor emerging cyberthreats to ensure the reliability of blockchain platforms; 

Whereas the appropriate agencies should develop mechanisms 

to stress test blockchain applications; 

Whereas different blockchain processes and applications can 

benefit from efforts by organizations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the International Organization for Standardization in creating 

common standards to ensure interoperability and efficiency in working with legacy platforms; 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS
5 

•HRES 1108 IH 

Whereas regulation of blockchain should be innovation friendly and should avoid giving preference to a particular technological approach or business model; and 

Whereas digital skill training is necessary to help make full 

use of the potential of blockchain; Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that blockchain has incredible potential that 

3 must be nurtured through support for future research and 

4 development and a thoughtful and innovation-friendly reg5 ulatory approach. 

Æ 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with BILLS