Kansas bitcoin reserve bill advances to Senate financial institutions committee

A Kansas legislative committee will now review a proposal to create a state-level bitcoin reserve funded exclusively by proceeds from unclaimed digital assets. Senate Bill 352 was referred to the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee on Thursday, one day after its introduction by Republican Senator Craig Bowser, according to public records.

The bill would establish a "bitcoin and digital assets reserve fund" within the state treasury. Unlike other state proposals to purchase bitcoin directly, this fund would be seeded solely with airdrops and staking rewards generated from digital assets deemed abandoned under Kansas law.

Under the proposed amendments to the state’s unclaimed property act, a digital asset is presumed abandoned three years after a written communication to the owner is returned as undeliverable. This clock on this timeline, which is 40% shorter than the five-year window for standard demand or savings deposits, can also begin to run if the owner fails to exercise "an act of ownership interest," such as accessing the account or conducting a transaction.

Once reported and delivered to the state’s administrator, a designated qualified custodian would hold the asset and be permitted to stake it to receive rewards. If the property remains unclaimed after three years in state custody, any generated airdrops or staking rewards are directed into the new reserve fund.

The legislation stipulates that bitcoin itself "shall not deposit bitcoin in the state general fund." Instead, the bill directs the state treasurer to credit 10% of each deposit of other digital assets into the reserve fund to the general fund. Expenditures from the bitcoin reserve would require separate legislative appropriation, according to the bill.

Separately, Sen. Bowser introduced Senate Bill 310 on Jan. 12, which seeks to regulate cryptocurrency as a form of campaign contribution. That bill would require crypto donations to be processed through a U.S.-based registered payment processor using know-your-customer protocols.

All cryptocurrency contributions would have to be converted to U.S. dollars and deposited into a campaign account within three business days, prohibiting committees from holding crypto as a campaign asset.

Kansas joins broader state-level push on bitcoin reserves

Kansas’ proposal places the state alongside a small-but-growing group of U.S. jurisdictions that have moved to formalize how bitcoin is treated within public finance and custody frameworks.

New Hampshire was among the first to enact its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve law on May 6, 2025, when Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 302. The statute authorizes the state treasurer to hold bitcoin and other digital assets with a market capitalization above $500 billion, subject to a 5% cap on total reserve holdings.

Texas followed in June 2025, when Governor Greg Abbott signed the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Investment Act, permitting the state to hold bitcoin as part of its reserve structure and establish investment authority under the state treasury.

Arizona also enacted HB 2749 in May 2025. That law allows the state to retain unclaimed or forfeited cryptocurrency in its original form rather than mandating its immediate sale, creating a de facto reserve.

At the same time, legislators in Florida and West Virginia have proposed similar bills for the 2026 session. Florida’s revived bill seeks to authorize state crypto investments, while West Virginia’s SB143 reportedly proposes allowing up to 10% of state funds to be allocated to bitcoin, precious metals, and stablecoins.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania passed a “bitcoin rights” bill and proposed a strategic reserve initiative, but broader reserve legislation has not advanced there. In Montana, Wyoming, and several other states, reserve proposals were introduced but ultimately failed to pass.