Texas lawmakers accepted laws to ascertain a state-level strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve on Could 21 after a 101‑42 Home vote, based on the Home livestream.
The SB 21 invoice is now solely pending the approval of Governor Greg Abbott earlier than it will probably develop into regulation.
Bitcoin reserve
The proposal permits the state comptroller to amass Bitcoin utilizing surplus Normal Income, topic to reporting guidelines that mirror these utilized to gold bullion held within the Texas Bullion Depository.
Congressman Giovanni Capriglione, one of many invoice’s main sponsors, instructed colleagues throughout flooring debate forward of the tally:
“Immediately is a pivotal second in securing Texas’ management within the digital age with the passage of our strategic Bitcoin reserve. Now we embrace a contemporary asset with conventional properties, however future promise.”
He added {that a} Bitcoin reserve not solely strengthens Texas’s fiscal sovereignty but in addition positions the state as a ahead‑considering area ready for the evolution of world finance.
As soon as SB 21 reaches his desk, Governor Abbott has 20 days to signal or veto it. If the governor takes no motion, the invoice will develop into regulation with no signature on the primary enterprise day thereafter.
Consequently, Texas would develop into the third US state to direct public funds into Bitcoin as a part of a strategic reserve framework, following Arizona and New Hampshire.
The US state would provoke Bitcoin purchases solely after the comptroller publishes procurement tips within the Texas Register and secures a storage contract that satisfies the statute’s location requirement.
Legislative pathway
The Senate cleared SB 21 on March 6. Sen. Charles Schwertner, the invoice creator, argued that allocating a slice of Texas’s obtainable money to Bitcoin can defend buying energy throughout financial shocks.
Beneath the textual content superior to the governor, the comptroller should disclose acquisition dates, unit counts, and combination price foundation every quarter.
The laws doesn’t impose a greenback‑denominated cap. Nonetheless, it requires holdings to be custodied with a certified entity inside Texas or inside a US jurisdiction that acknowledges Bitcoin as property.
The invoice additionally instructs the comptroller to check potential income streams tied to community participation, together with Lightning‑enabled fee rails for state charges.
These findings are because of the Home Appropriations Committee by January 2026, organising a assessment forward of the 89th Legislature.
