Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB60 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 60 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Senator Hill 5
8	8	By: Representative Evans 6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS DATA CENTERS ACT OF 9
12	12	2023; TO PROHIBIT A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS 10
13	13	FROM BEING LOCATED WITHIN A THIRTY -MILE RADIUS OF A 11
14	14	MILITARY FACILITY; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR 12
15	15	OTHER PURPOSES. 13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	Subtitle 16
19	19	TO PROHIBIT A DIGITAL ASSET MINING 17
20	20	BUSINESS FROM BEING LOCATED WITHIN A 18
21	21	THIRTY-MILE RADIUS OF A MILITARY 19
22	22	FACILITY; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 20
23	23	21
24	24	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
25	25	23
26	26	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapter 6, is amended 24
27	27	to add an additional section to read as follows: 25
28	28	14-1-607. Operation of digital asset mining business within thirty -26
29	29	mile radius of military facility prohibited — Definition. 27
30	30	(a) As used in this section: 28
31	31	(1) "Military facility": 29
32	32	(A) Means a physical location in the state that is 30
33	33	operated by one (1) or more branches of the United States Armed Forces or the 31
34	34	National Guard to: 32
35	35	(i) House military personnel and equipment; 33
36	36	(ii) Support training and operations; or 34
37	37	(iii) Serve as a command center or training grounds; 35
38	38	and 36 SB60
39	39
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41	41	(B) Includes without limitation a military: 1
42	42	(i) Base or camp; 2
43	43	(ii) Hospital or clinic; and 3
44	44	(iii) Arsenal; and 4
45	45	(2) "Operation" means generating income as a result of 5
46	46	generating digital assets by securing a blockchain network. 6
47	47	(b)(1) A digital asset mining business shall: 7
48	48	(A) Not operate within a thirty -mile radius of a military 8
49	49	facility; 9
50	50	(B) Shut down operations at each location that is within a 10
51	51	thirty-mile radius of a military facility unless the digital asset mining 11
52	52	business was fully constructed and in operation at that site before December 12
53	53	31, 2024; and 13
54	54	(C) Cease construction of a location that is within a 14
55	55	thirty-mile radius of a military facility. 15
56	56	(2) A digital asset mining business that was in operation at a 16
57	57	location within a thirty -mile radius of a military facility before December 17
58	58	31, 2024, and subsequently changes ownership shall shut down operations at 18
59	59	each location that is within thirty -mile radius of a military facility before 19
60	60	the change in ownership becomes effective. 20
61	61	(c) Upon request of a person or upon receipt of information that leads 21
62	62	the Attorney General to believe that a violation of this section may exist, 22
63	63	the Attorney General may conduct an investigation that includes without 23
64	64	limitation: 24
65	65	(1) Receiving sworn statements; and 25
66	66	(2) Issuing subpoenas to compel the: 26
67	67	(A) Testimony of witnesses subpoenaed before him or her; 27
68	68	and 28
69	69	(B) Production of records and other documents under § 25 -29
70	70	16-705. 30
71	71	(d) If as a result of an investigation under subsection (c) of this 31
72	72	section the Attorney General concludes that a violation of this section has 32
73	73	occurred, the Attorney General shall order the digital asset mining business 33
74	74	to shut down operations at each location that is within a thirty -mile radius 34
75	75	of a military facility. 35
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79	79	SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 1
80	80	General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that digital asset mining, also 2
81	81	known as "cryptomining", is a rising industry in the state that poses unique 3
82	82	opportunities as well as risks; that risks posed by digital asset mining 4
83	83	include without limitation threats to national security and the security of 5
84	84	the State of Arkansas, which is amplified by a digital asset mining 6
85	85	facility's being located within a thirty -mile radius of a military facility; 7
86	86	and that this act is immediately necessary in order to ensure the health and 8
87	87	safety of the State of Arkansas and its citizens. Therefore, an emergency is 9
88	88	declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 10
89	89	preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 11
90	90	on: 12
91	91	(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 13
92	92	(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 14
93	93	the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 15
94	94	bill; or 16
95	95	(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 17
96	96	overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 18
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