HRES 248

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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. <all>