Committee adopts amendment and clears bill to protect established digital-asset operations from retroactive local restrictions

Senator Joshua Bryant brought House Bill 17 99, and the committee first adopted an agreed amendment to address concerns from municipally owned utility companies. Bryant said the amendment was negotiated so the utilities’ interests would be protected, and the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote.

Bryant said the bill as amended "just provides guidance for a growing industry," identifying zoning as the common concern for digital-asset mining and related businesses. Industry representative Cameron Baker (owner, Cryptic Farms) told the committee the bill is about protecting investments once businesses are established and said it is not intended to prevent municipalities from managing local industrial and commercial policy. Representative Rick McClure, addressing the committee in support, said the bill's intent is to prevent retroactive rezoning or discriminatory exclusion of compliant businesses: "They could do whatever they want to beforehand, but not retroactively if they allow them to come in."

Several senators sought clarity on language referencing protection from "fraudulent business practices" and whether the bill was limited to digital-asset mining or intended to be industry-neutral. Bryant said the language was meant to allow adaptation as technologies evolve rather than to codify overly broad limits. After questions, Bryant closed, moved the bill pass, and the committee approved it by voice vote.

The committee recorded no roll-call vote in the transcript and provided no further amendments during the committee meeting.