TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS TO PROVIDE NOTIFICATION BEFORE PURCHASING OR LEASING LAND OR A BUILDING OR BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION.
House Resolution 1014 is a procedural measure authorizing the introduction of a separate nonappropriation bill that would amend the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023. The underlying proposal would require a digital asset miner, digital asset mining business, or business using a blockchain network to give written notice to the Arkansas Public Service Commission and the relevant local government at least six months before purchasing or leasing land or a building, or before beginning construction of a facility for digital asset mining or blockchain-network use.
The bill defines construction broadly to include site preparation and clearing work. In practical terms, it would create an advance-notice requirement for new or expanding crypto-mining and blockchain-related facilities, giving state and local officials earlier visibility into planned projects and potentially allowing more time to assess infrastructure, utility, zoning, and community impacts.
If enacted, the proposal would add a new section to Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapter 6, and would impose a pre-development notification obligation on digital asset mining and blockchain-related businesses. It would affect miners, facility operators, landowners, and local governments by requiring notice before land acquisition, leasing, or construction begins, and would involve the Arkansas Public Service Commission as a recipient of the notice. The measure would not itself regulate rates or operations directly, but it would expand state and local oversight of where and when these facilities are planned.
The available record suggests limited public debate, with no committee transcript or recorded votes provided. The bill’s introduction indicates legislative interest in increasing transparency and advance notice for digital asset mining development, but its procedural resolution died in House Committee at sine die adjournment, showing that it did not advance to final passage. Overall, the sentiment appears neutral to cautiously regulatory, focused on notice and planning rather than an outright restriction on the industry.
The main point of contention likely concerns the burden the notice requirement would place on digital asset miners and blockchain businesses versus the benefits to regulators and local communities. Supporters would likely view the measure as a way to improve planning, utility coordination, and local awareness before large facilities are sited or built. Opponents may argue that a six-month advance notice requirement could delay investment, reduce flexibility in site selection, or create an additional regulatory hurdle for an industry already subject to scrutiny over energy use and land development impacts.