Following his victory in the state Senate, a bill related to cryptocurrency mining rights and regulations that would ban discrimination against cryptocurrency miners is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The proposed laws would protect mining that takes place “at home” and strip local governments of the power to use zoning laws to stop crypto mining operations. They would also enshrine a “right to mine digital assets” and bar “discriminatory” electricity fees from being charged to cryptocurrency miners.

In addition to this, it prohibits the imposition of additional taxes on the use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method and proposes to classify “digital assets”, which include cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, as “movable property”, in the same category as other financial assets. . products like stocks and bonds.

On February 23, the measure received a vote of 37 in favor and 13 against in the state Senate. It will now be considered for approval in the House of Representatives. Should it pass there as well, the last stage would be for Gov. Greg Gianforte to sign it into law, who has the option to sign the measure or veto it.

Mining “provides good economic value” and has the ability to “stabilize the network and provide revenue for infrastructure improvements,” as stated in the law, which outlines that Montana wants to “protect the right to mine” cryptocurrency and “provide legal clarity”. for miners

The text of the law was drafted with the help of the Satoshi Action Fund, which is an organization that advocates for Bitcoin (BTC).

In April 2019, Missoula County in the state of Montana established regulations requiring miners to operate only in light and heavy industrial areas and requiring miners to use only renewable energy. These regulations were promulgated. The county’s zoning regulation would be overturned if the bill were enacted.

A similar law that seeks to protect crypto miners from discrimination passed the Mississippi State Senate in early February and is now making its way to the Mississippi House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Digital Asset Mining Protection Act was introduced to the state legislature in mid-January with the intention of safeguarding the legal rights of cryptocurrency miners.