JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY BLOCKCHAIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY (Creates a 5 member commission to recommend legislative proposals for blockchain and cryptocurrency, and submit an interim progress report by January 5, 2027, and a final report by January 5, 2028, and would expire on February 5, 2028.)

RI Special Commission on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

This Rhode Island bill would create a temporary five-member commission specifically tasked with studying blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The commission's job would be to research these topics and develop recommendations for new laws or regulations that the state legislature could consider. It is not itself creating any new rules — it is simply establishing a group to do the groundwork needed before lawmakers decide how to act.

The commission would operate on a set timeline. It would need to deliver a preliminary progress report by January 5, 2027, and a final report with its full recommendations by January 5, 2028. After that, the commission would automatically dissolve on February 5, 2028. This kind of built-in expiration is common for study commissions, ensuring they stay focused and don't become permanent bodies.

This bill would primarily affect Rhode Island policymakers, businesses that work with cryptocurrency or blockchain technology, and residents who use or invest in these technologies. Depending on what laws eventually come out of the commission's recommendations, it could also affect everyday Rhode Islanders who interact with digital currencies or blockchain-based services in the future.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the House Innovation, Internet, & Technology Committee and was scheduled for a hearing in March 2026. The committee has recommended holding it for further study, meaning it has not yet advanced through the legislative process.