119-hres248

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 248 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 248

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

 March 25, 2025

Mr. Amo (for himself and Mrs. Kim) 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.
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