SB 2196 Rhode Island Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DIGITAL ASSET KEYS--PROHIBITION OF PRODUCTION OF PRIVATE KEYS

SB 2196 prohibits courts or government entities from forcing individuals to reveal private keys that control access to digital assets (like cryptocurrency), digital identities, or other digital rights. It applies directly to people holding such keys, such as cryptocurrency owners or digital service users. The law allows exceptions only if a public key cannot be used to access the asset or information. This does not prevent legal actions requiring the transfer of the digital asset itself, only the forced disclosure of the private key. The bill would take effect immediately upon passage.
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action Apr 7, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 7, 2026
Committee
04/07/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
legislature
Jan 23, 2026
Introduced
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technol
upper
6 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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