On December 4, the Missouri State Senate in the United States proposed Bill SB 194 on December 1, suggesting a ban on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) as legal tender in the state. The bill aims to prohibit public entities from accepting or using CBDC and amends the definition of "currency" in the Uniform Commercial Code to exclude these digital currencies.
Initiated by Senator Brattin, SB 194 outlines several provisions affecting Missouri's financial policies, including requiring that gold and silver reserves held by state treasurers be at least equivalent to 1% of all state funds. In addition, the bill also reduces tax obligations for gold and silver because it "exempts from state income tax those parts of capital gains generated from selling or exchanging gold and silver that were originally included in taxpayers' federal adjusted gross income." Besides focusing on precious metals, this bill explicitly prohibits public entities from participating in any tests or pilot projects related to CBDC conducted by Federal Reserve or other federal agencies. This stance reflects growing concerns among some state legislators about CBDC's impact on financial privacy, monetary policy, and state sovereignty.