The Texas State House of Representatives has been presented with a bill that would completely protect and embrace the Bitcoin economy.

House Concurrent Resolution 89, sponsored by Rep. Cody Harris (R), and co-authored by Natalie Smolenski and Jason Brett of the Bitcoin Policy Institute, argues that the Chinese government’s 2021 ban on Bitcoin mining and trading is an authoritarian form of government that is in direct conflict with American values.

Due to this ban, hash rate quickly migrated from China to the U.S., especially Texas, which has benefited from the surge in activity.

According to the proposed legislation, all citizens of the Lone Star State should utilize and store Bitcoin in accordance with specific principles relating to items of value that are embedded in the Texas Constitution.

The bill proposes that those who code or develop on the Bitcoin network will be ensured protection.

Additionally, the state will ensure that no law or resolution restricting the practice of securing the Bitcoin network will ever be applied to individuals who mine Bitcoin in Texas.

The Texas Constitution’s Section 9, Article I, which guarantees people’s security in their persons, homes, papers, and property against any arbitrary seizures or searches, is stated to provide protection for Bitcoin holders.

No citizen of Texas shall ever be deprived of their right to own Bitcoin and that all Bitcoin owners will be protected as they enjoy all the privileges associated with the cryptocurrency, including the immunity afforded by censorship-resistant spending of Bitcoin and the ability to store Bitcoin in an unhosted wallet without undue interference from any state agency; these protections shall be extended to Bitcoin owners.

The Texas Legislature shall always seek to protect the legal rights of its citizens and promote the growth and development of local businesses. The legislation also reads that everyone in the broader community who chooses to own Bitcoin as a means of storing their wealth and conducting business will know that the Bitcoin economy is welcomed in Texas and that the state’s legislature will work to protect those rights.

The bill concludes with a welcome to “those in the United States and the broader global network who work on Bitcoin coding, programming, and mining.”

If the bill is approved by the House, the Senate and Governor’s office will then review it. This is in accordance with the legislative procedure described by the state.

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