blockworks.co
The Montana House of Representatives passed a crypto miner-friendly bill Wednesday. It is now headed to Governor Greg Gianforte’s desk for final ratification.
The bill, which is intended to protect all types of digital asset miners, including those who mine within their homes, passed 64-35 in its third House reading. The amended version of the legislation, sponsored by Republican State Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, passed the Senate in February.
The bill establishes a “right to mine digital assets,” meaning industrial miners and at-home miners are entitled to conduct their business free from government interference. Once signed into law, miners will be able to proceed with operations as they please, as long as they adhere to already-existing noise ordinances in residential areas, the bill states.
The bill also prohibits electricity providers from charging any “discriminatory rates” to industrial or at-home miners. Additionally, if the bill passes into law, state and local authorities will not be able to levy additional taxes on people using crypto as a form of payment.
Bill proponents took to Twitter to thank the Satoshi Act Fund, a nonprofit that educates lawmakers on Bitcoin, for its work in getting the bill in Montana to the governor.
I can’t thank @Dennis_Porter_ & @SatoshiActFund enough for the work they put in on Montana’s Senate Bill #SB178. It will help undue Missoula County’s prejudiced emergency zoning against PoW mining that led to the closing of our 20MW #Bitcoin farm back in 2020.
— Jason – I AM HODLONAUT – Vaughan (@406Bitcoin) April 13, 2023
Much respect 🫡 🤝 https://t.co/1BE7T0QzUi
The fund’s CEO Dennis Porter testified in favor of the bill in early March.
Headed back to the state of Montana to testify in support of the ‘Right to Mine’ #Bitcoin bill. pic.twitter.com/48CJTPrYUv
— Dennis Porter (@Dennis_Porter_) March 23, 2023
A similar bill passed in the Missouri House Committee in early March, which sought to protect corporate mining businesses and at-home miners.
In New York, the future for digital asset mining is far more murky. The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York and the Sierra Club sued the state agency responsible for allowing a proof of work cryptocurrency mining operation.
Blockworks didn’t receive an immediate response from Zolnikov or Porter.