Vermont State is close to passing a law which will make blockchain records permissible in court. The bill will be implemented in law after the governor’s signature.

Rep Bill Botzow, who heads the Commerce and Economic Development at the Vermont House Committee said that the bill will harmonize blockchain data with existing state law related to the kinds of evidence admissible in court.

Speaking to CoinDesk, Botzow stated that, “With this bill, what I’m most pleased about is the way which it passed. It received final input from the courts – the judge on the Supreme Court is the court administrator from the law school – and others from that community to make sure what we wrote lined up with the rules of evidence."

Months after the Vermont legislature approved of using a blockchain to enhance state recordkeeping processes, the efforts have been implemented. Later, the Vermont legislature published a report on the effectiveness of this. The report stated that, "Providing legal recognition of blockchain technology may create a 'first mover' advantage with the potential to bring economic activity surrounding the development of blockchain technology to Vermont, but this potential is difficult to quantify and challenging to capture due to the nature of the technology.”

This bill establishes how the veracity of that certification can be challenged in court. Stating in an interview, Botzow highlighted that the legislation is narrowly tailored to apply only to documents as opposed to financial transactions. "It makes sense to me that the study committee recommended that’s where we start – building a platform for further innovation that positions Vermont at the forefront of using this and other innovative technology," he said.

The bill will be an opportunity to broadcast Vermont’s openness to technological innovation and for the companies which are pursuing new lines of development, including the bitcoin and blockchain industry.