Louisiana Goes All-In on Crypto, Blockchain, and AI: New Subcommittee to Dive Deep

Unanimous Vote Kicks Off Game-Changing Study

Louisiana's on fire with a new move to understand the wild world of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and AI. They just passed House Resolution 317, setting up a subcommittee to dive into how these technologies are shaking up the state. This isn't just any study—it's Louisiana saying, "We're in this game, and we're going big!"

The resolution, brought to life by Representative Mark Wright, got a massive thumbs-up in the House of Representatives. On June 10, it swept through with a 90-0 vote. That's right, unanimous support to get this party started!

HR 317 isn't messing around. It's creating a new subcommittee under the House Committee on Commerce to see exactly how these cutting-edge technologies are messing with the state's economy, laws, and everyday life.

The clock's ticking—work's gotta start before September 1, 2025, and they better wrap it up with a final report by February 1, 2026. That report's going straight to the House Committee on Commerce and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library.

What's in the report? A deep dive into how AI, blockchain, and crypto are being used in Louisiana right now, plus a look at what other states are doing.

This subcommittee's not just about the tech—it's about the risks too. They'll be checking out cybersecurity threats, privacy issues, and the regulatory hurdles, while also sniffing out opportunities for economic growth, better jobs, and innovation in the public sector.

And they're not stopping there. They'll be figuring out if new laws are needed to keep these technologies safe and effective.

To make sure everyone's voice is heard, the resolution wants the subcommittee to throw public hearings, get expert opinions, and chat with educators, students, and business owners in community forums.

The team will be made up of House Committee on Commerce members, with the chair or someone they choose leading the first meeting.

Louisiana's no stranger to the crypto scene. Back in September 2024, they were the first state to let people pay government fees with Bitcoin, Bitcoin Lightning Network, and USD Coin. Talk about setting the pace!

Representative Wright's all about pushing digital assets forward. He's already thrown his weight behind a Bitcoin Rights bill, making sure folks can use Bitcoin freely, keeping central bank digital currency trials at bay, and protecting home-based crypto mining.

But hold up, Louisiana hasn't jumped on the Bitcoin reserve bandwagon yet. Other states like Texas are already on it, with Senate Bill 21 setting up a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve just waiting for the governor's nod.

And it's not just Texas—16 other states are looking at similar moves, according to the latest from Bitcoin Laws.