Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5544 — Washington Blockchain Work Group (2022)

Summary

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5544, State of Washington, 67th Legislature, 2022 Regular Session, was read first time 02/02/22 and is by the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology committee. Section 1 establishes the Washington blockchain work group, subject to appropriated funds, to examine blockchain applications in computing, banking and other financial services, real estate transactions, health care, supply chain management, higher education, and public recordkeeping. Members include senators, representatives, state agency directors and trade association and tribal representatives. The group must hold its inaugural meeting by August 1, with commerce department staff support, and report to the governor and legislative committees by December 1. The section expires January 1, 2024.

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                     ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5544


     State of Washington         67th Legislature     2022 Regular Session

     By Senate Environment, Energy & Technology (originally sponsored by
     Senators Brown, Dozier, Frockt, Hasegawa, Mullet, Rolfes, Short,
     Wagoner, Wellman, and L. Wilson)

     READ FIRST TIME 02/02/22.




 1       AN ACT Relating to establishing the Washington blockchain work
 2   group; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.


 3   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 4       NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts
 5   appropriated for this specific purpose, the Washington blockchain
 6   work group is established. The purpose of the work group is to
 7   examine various potential applications for blockchain technology
 8   including, but not limited to, applications in computing, banking and
 9   other financial services, the real estate transaction process, health
10   care,   supply  chain   management,  higher   education,  and   public
11   recordkeeping.
12       (2) The work group is composed of the following members:
13       (a) One senator from each of the two largest caucuses of the
14   senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
15       (b) One representative from each of the two largest caucuses of
16   the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house
17   of representatives;
18       (c) The secretary of state or the secretary of state's designee;
19       (d) The director of the department of commerce or the director's
20   designee;


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 1       (e) The director of the department of financial institutions or
 2   the director's designee;
 3       (f) The director of Washington technology solutions, the
 4   consolidated technology services agency, or the director's designee;
 5       (g) The director of the department of agriculture or the
 6   director's designee;
 7       (h) The director of the health care authority or the director's
 8   designee;
 9       (i) An individual representing a Washington-based technology
10   trade association for the full cross-section of the technology
11   sector;
12       (j) An individual representing a trade association for financial
13   services companies that do business in Washington;
14       (k) An individual representing a trade association for title
15   insurance companies that do business in Washington;
16       (l) An individual representing a trade association for health
17   care companies that do business in Washington;
18       (m) An individual representing an association for county
19   government officials in Washington;
20       (n)   An  individual   representing   a   trade   association   for
21   Washington-based agriculture;
22       (o) An individual representing a trade association for property
23   and casualty insurance companies that do business in Washington;
24       (p) An individual representing a federally recognized tribe
25   located in Washington;
26       (q)   An  individual   representing   an   environmental   advocacy
27   organization with expertise in energy policy;
28       (r)   An  individual   representing   an   environmental   advocacy
29   organization with expertise in sustainability; and
30       (s) An individual representing an association for public utility
31   districts in Washington.
32       (3) The individuals appointed under subsection (2)(i) through (s)
33   of this section must be appointed by the governor.
34       (4) In addition to the members appointed to the work group under
35   subsection (2) of this section, individuals representing other
36   sectors may be invited by the chair, in consultation with the other
37   appointed members of the work group, to participate in an advisory
38   capacity in meetings of the work group. Individuals participating in
39   an advisory capacity under this subsection are not members of the
40   work group, may not vote, and are not subject to the appointment
                                      p. 2                        ESSB 5544
 1   process established in this section. There is no limit to the number
 2   of individuals who may participate in work group meetings in an
 3   advisory capacity under this subsection.
 4       (5) A majority of the work group members constitutes a quorum. If
 5   a member has not been designated for a position set forth in this
 6   section, that position may not be counted for the purpose of
 7   determining a quorum.
 8       (6) The work group must hold its inaugural meeting by August 1,
 9   2022. The work group must elect a chair from among its members at the
10   inaugural meeting. The election of the chair must be by a majority
11   vote of the work group members who are present at the inaugural
12   meeting. The chair of the work group is responsible for arranging
13   subsequent meetings and developing meeting agendas.
14       (7) Staff support for the work group, including arranging the
15   inaugural meeting of the work group and assisting the chair of the
16   work group in arranging subsequent meetings, must be provided by the
17   department of commerce.
18       (8) Legislative members of the work group may be reimbursed for
19   travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative
20   members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they
21   are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer,
22   governmental entity, or other organization. Any reimbursement for
23   other nonlegislative members is subject to chapter 43.03 RCW.
24       (9) The work group is a class one group under chapter 43.03 RCW.
25       (10) A public comment period must be provided at every meeting of
26   the work group.
27       (11) The work group must submit a report on potential uses and
28   impacts of blockchain, including impacts on existing industries,
29   utilities, demand for electricity, and demand for computer processing
30   capacity,   and  recommended   policies  that   will  facilitate   the
31   development of blockchain applications in Washington to the governor
32   and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1,
33   2023.
34       (12) This section expires January 1, 2024. The work group is
35   dissolved upon the expiration of this section.

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