The PA Senate State Government Committee recently advanced legislation that would authorize remote notarization of documents.
The bill would modernize the state code for the notarization process by permitting audio-visual communications. More than 20 states have enacted this type of legislation.
Under the legislation, a notary would retain his or her function and responsibilities as an impartial witness. However, audio-video communication could be used to e-notarize documents that would otherwise need to be verified in person. The bill accounts for verification and privacy protections.
“My bill makes the notarization process much easier and straight-forward, and saves everyone valuable time,” Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams County), who introduced the bill, said. “This proposal does not replace notaries or the services they provide – rather, the bill authorizes the use of secure and reliable technology to assist notaries in performing their duties. The legislation is user-friendly and provides notaries with an additional tool to authenticate documents.”
The bill will prevent the spread of the coronavirus by maintaining social-distancing, Mastriano said.
The measure, which now moves to the full Senate for consideration, will be beneficial to veterans on deployment, family members working out of state, or business travelers. Mastriano’s office said.
A similar bill passed the Senate during the 2017-2018 session but did not advance in the House.