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.
Summary
SR11 is a Senate resolution authorizing Senator B. King to introduce a nonappropriation bill that would amend the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023. The underlying bill would require a digital asset miner, digital asset mining business, or business using a blockchain network to give written notice before purchasing or leasing land or a building, or before beginning construction of a facility used for digital asset mining or blockchain network operations.
The notice would have to be filed with both the Arkansas Public Service Commission and the local government where the project is planned at least six months before the purchase, lease, or construction begins. For projects already involving a purchase or lease before the act takes effect, the six-month notice period would apply before construction starts. The bill also defines “construction” broadly to include sitework to clear or prepare land for building.
Impact
If enacted, the measure would add a new notice requirement to Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapter 6, expanding state oversight of digital asset mining and blockchain-related development. It would not ban these facilities, but it would create an advance disclosure obligation for miners and related businesses and involve both state utility regulators and local governments in the review process. The practical effect would be to give public officials earlier notice of proposed crypto-mining projects and potentially more time to assess infrastructure, zoning, utility, and community impacts.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill was procedurally advanced as a proposal to be introduced, but it ultimately did not become law and died at sine die adjournment. With no committee transcripts or recorded votes available, there is no direct evidence of floor debate or formal opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s framing indicates a regulatory, rather than prohibitive, approach to digital asset mining, suggesting an intent to increase transparency and planning rather than to restrict the industry outright.
Contention
The likely points of contention are the scope and timing of the notice requirement, especially the six-month advance filing mandate and the inclusion of businesses utilizing blockchain networks in addition to traditional digital asset miners. Industry stakeholders could view the requirement as burdensome or as an obstacle to rapid project development, while local governments and regulators may support it as a tool for advance planning and oversight. Another possible issue is the broad definition of construction, which includes sitework and land preparation, potentially triggering notice obligations earlier in the development process than some businesses might expect.