Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 1780	Senate Author:  Parker
Effective:  1-1-24	House Sponsor:  Capriglione

            Senate Bill 1780 amends the Government Code to revise and set out provisions to provide for the online notarization by an online notary public of tangible instruments or electronic documents that are notarized by the online notary public with a tangible symbol and not an electronic signature. Among other provisions, the bill requires an online notary public to keep a record of documents that are tangible instruments notarized by the online notary public with a tangible symbol and requires the record to contain the same elements as those for the records kept by the online notary public for electronic documents. The bill requires an online notary public to authenticate all online notarizations with the online notary public's electronic seal if the online notarization was performed with respect to an electronic document or with the online notary public's seal of office if the online notarization was performed with respect to a tangible document. The bill revises provisions requiring an online notary public to verify the identity of a person creating an electronic signature at the time that the signature is taken and requires the notarial certificate for an online notarization to indicate if the applicable signature was a tangible symbol or an electronic signature. The bill authorizes an online notary public to administer an oath or affirmation to a principal as an online notarization under certain conditions.