119-hr1664

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1664 Engrossed in House

    (EH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1664

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To direct the Secretary of Commerce to take actions necessary and 
appropriate to promote the competitiveness of the United States related 
to the deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, and for other 
 purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Deploying American Blockchains Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology.--The term ``blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology'' means a distributed digital 
 database where data is--
        (A) shared across a network of computers to create 
 a ledger of verified information among network 
 participants;
        (B) linked using cryptography to maintain the 
 integrity of the ledger and to execute other functions; 
 and
            (C) distributed among network participants in an 
 automated fashion to concurrently update network 
 participants on the state of the ledger and other 
 functions.

    (2) Covered nongovernmental representatives.--The term 
 ``covered nongovernmental representatives'' means 
 representatives as specified in the second sentence of 

section 135

    (b)

    (1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155

    (b)

    (1) ), 
 except that such term does not include representatives of non-
 Federal Governments.

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Commerce.

    (4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
 States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, 
 or possession of the United States, and each federally 
 recognized Indian Tribe.

    (5) Token.--The term ``token'' means a transferable, 
 digital representation of information recorded on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology.

    (6) Tokenization.--The term ``tokenization'' means the 
 process of creating a token.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP ON BLOCKCHAIN.

    (a) Function of Secretary.--The Secretary shall serve as a 
principal advisor to the President for policy pertaining to the 
deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain 
technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications built 
on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, 
tokens, and tokenization.

    (b) Activities.--The Secretary shall take actions necessary and 
appropriate to support the leadership of the United States with respect 
to the deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain 
technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications built 
on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, 
tokens, and tokenization, including by--

    (1) developing policies and recommendations on issues and 
 risks related to the deployment, use, application, and 
 competitiveness of blockchain technology or other distributed 
 ledger technology, applications built on blockchain technology 
 or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization, including the issues of decentralized identity, 
 cybersecurity, key storage and security systems, artificial 
 intelligence, fraud reduction, regulatory compliance, e-
 commerce, health care applications, and supply chain 
 resiliency;

    (2) supporting and promoting the stability, maintenance, 
 improvement, and security of blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;

    (3) helping to promote the leadership of the United States 
 with respect to the deployment, use, application, and 
 competitiveness of blockchain technology or other distributed 
 ledger technology, applications built on blockchain technology 
 or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization through the establishment of a Blockchain 
 Deployment Program in the Department of Commerce;

    (4) promoting the national security and economic security 
 of the United States with respect to blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, applications built on 
 blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, 
 tokens, and tokenization;

    (5) supporting engagement with the public to promote the 
 best practices described in subsection
            (c) ;

    (6) considering policies and programs to encourage and 
 improve coordination among Federal agencies with respect to the 
 deployment of blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization;

    (7) examining--
        (A) how Federal agencies can benefit from utilizing 
 blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain technology 
 or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;
        (B) the current use by Federal agencies of 
 blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain technology 
 or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;
            (C) the current and future preparedness and ability 
 of Federal agencies to adopt blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, applications built 
 on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization; and
            (D) additional security measures Federal agencies 
 may need to take to--
            (i) safely and securely use blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization, including 
 to ensure the security of critical 
 infrastructure; and
            (ii) enhance the resiliency of Federal 
 systems against cyber threats to blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization;

    (8) supporting coordination of the activities of the 
 Federal Government related to the security of blockchain 
 technology and other distributed ledger technology, 
 applications built on blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization; and

    (9) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
 of this Act, establishing advisory committees to support the 
 adoption of blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization, 
 the membership of which shall include--
        (A) the Secretary;
        (B) representatives of Federal agencies (as 
 determined necessary by the Secretary); and
            (C) nongovernmental stakeholders with expertise 
 related to blockchain technology or other distributed 
 ledger technology, including--
            (i) blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology infrastructure 
 operators, suppliers, service providers, and 
 vendors;
            (ii) application developers building on 
 blockchain technology or other distributed 
 ledger technology;
            (iii) developers and organizations 
 supporting the advancement and deployment of 
 public blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology;
            (iv) subject matter experts representing 
 industrial sectors that can benefit from 
 blockchain technology or other distributed 
 ledger technology;
            (v) small, medium, and large businesses;
            (vi) think tanks and academia;
            (vii) nonprofit organizations and consumer 
 groups;
            (viii) cybersecurity experts;
            (ix) rural stakeholders;
            (x) covered nongovernmental 
 representatives;
            (xi) artists and the content creator 
 community; and
            (xii) other stakeholders with relevant 
 expertise (as determined necessary by the 
 Secretary).
            (c) Best Practices.--The Secretary shall, on an ongoing basis, 
facilitate and support the development and dissemination of best 
practices with respect to blockchain technology or other distributed 
ledger technology, applications built on blockchain technology or other 
distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization that--

    (1) support the private sector, the public sector, and 
 public-private partnerships in the deployment of technologies 
 needed to advance the capabilities of blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, applications built on 
 blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, 
 tokens, and tokenization;

    (2) support the interoperability of blockchain technology 
 or other distributed ledger technology, applications built on 
 blockchain technology or other distributed ledger technology, 
 tokens, and tokenization;

    (3) support operations, including hashing and key storage 
 and security systems, that form the foundation of blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications 
 built on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization;

    (4) reduce cybersecurity and other risks that may 
 compromise blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, applications built on blockchain technology or 
 other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and tokenization;

    (5) reduce uncertainty and risks in the use of blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications 
 built on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization; and

    (6) quantify the value and potential cost savings 
 associated with adoption of blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization, including through comparative analyses of 
 competing and existing technologies within specific industry 
 applications.
            (d) Additional Requirements.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall--

    (1) consult closely and regularly with stakeholders, 
 including private sector individuals and entities, and 
 incorporate industry expertise;

    (2) collaborate with private sector stakeholders to 
 identify prioritized, flexible, repeatable, performance-based, 
 and cost-effective approaches to the deployment of blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications 
 built on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization;

    (3) disseminate research and information pertaining to the 
 use of, and marketplace for, blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;

    (4) develop standardized terminology for, and promote 
 common understanding of, blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;

    (5) ensure the best practices described in subsection
            (c) facilitate the ease of use of blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization;

    (6) support open-source infrastructure, data management, 
 and authentication activities with respect to blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, applications 
 built on blockchain technology or other distributed ledger 
 technology, tokens, and tokenization; and

    (7) consider the needs and interests of both the private 
 and public sector, including small businesses and Federal, 
 State, and local governments.

    (e) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to--

    (1) require a private entity to share information with the 
 Secretary;

    (2) require a private entity to request assistance from the 
 Secretary;

    (3) require a private entity to implement any measure or 
 recommendation suggested by the Secretary in response to a 
 request by the private entity; or

    (4) require the adoption of the best practices described in 
 subsection
            (c) .

    (f) Consultation.--In implementing this section, the Secretary may, 
as appropriate, consult with the heads of relevant Federal agencies.

    (g) Termination of Program.--The Blockchain Deployment Program 
established pursuant to subsection

    (b)

    (3) shall terminate on the date 
that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall make public on the website 
of the Department of Commerce and submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes--

    (1) a description of the activities of the Secretary under 
 this Act during the preceding year;

    (2) any recommendations by the Secretary for additional 
 legislation to strengthen the competitiveness of the United 
 States with respect to blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization; and

    (3) a description of any emerging risks and long-term 
 trends with respect to blockchain technology or other 
 distributed ledger technology, applications built on blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, tokens, and 
 tokenization.

 Passed the House of Representatives June 23, 2025.

 Attest:

 Clerk.
119th CONGRESS

 1st Session

 H. R. 1664

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To direct the Secretary of Commerce to take actions necessary and 
appropriate to promote the competitiveness of the United States related 
to the deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain 
 technology or other distributed ledger technology, and for other 
 purposes.