Mississippi State Senate Passes Bill Defending Crypto Miners’ Rights

Mississippi’s state senate has passed a bill to protect crypto-asset miners from being discriminated against on electricity rates.

According to a report from Cointelegraph, the state Senate has passed the Mississippi Digital Asset Mining Act, which is now waiting for the accompanying bill to make its way through the state House of Representatives.

The bill, authored by state senator Josh Harkins, would legalize home-based crypto mining and the operation of mining operations in areas designated for industrial use. In particular, the bill seeks to protect miners’ rights in a state known for some of the lowest electricity prices in the country and to clear the way for what it calls “regulatory challenges at the state and local level.”

In a bid for miners’ rights, the bill prohibits the state’s chief utility regulator, the Public Service Commission, from imposing “discriminatory rates” on mining operations, while exempting home and corporate miners from remittance status. Additionally, the bill helps clarify the state’s legal definition of “virtual currency.”

Dennis Porter, co-founder and CEO of Bitcoin mining organization Satoshi Action Fund, noted the “historic step” taken by Mississippi lawmakers against crypto asset mining. The fund, which has been active in Mississippi, works to advocate for Bitcoin mining and protection for miners and businesses with crypto assets.

On January 25, 2023, Porter tweeted about his presentation – on the benefits of Bitcoin mining – to Capitol Hill staff at a Senate Finance Committee hearing room.