This week, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill that will require the Division of Technology Services (DTS) to launch a pilot program for blockchain-based digital verifiable credentials.
HB 470 will require the DTS to provide recommendations on how to issue a digital ID via distributed-ledger technology. The DTS will also be required to recommend policies on privacy protection of personal identifying information and communicate those policies with the state’s government operations privacy officer and the state’s privacy officer.
The DTS will report its progress to the Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee of the state’s House of Representatives by the end of October.
Utah is not the first state to launch a digital ID program. Arizona launched a digital ID in 2022 and Colorado launched a mobile driver’s license in 2019. However, Utah’s program will be different as it is based on blockchain technology.
The Digital Technology Task Force, tasked with creating a legal framework for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), introduced a bill allowing DAOs to operate in the state. That bill was also signed by Gov. Cox this week. The new law defines DAOs not registered as nonprofits or corporate entities as domestic limited liability companies.
