Legislative Developments

The latest version of the SECURE Notarization Act is currently under House committee review and would, if passed, would establish federal minimum standards for electronic notarizations and remote notarizations.

A state bill currently under consideration by the Texas legislature would institute new requirements for the recording of instruments conveying real property involving settlement services agents.

A state bill would amend the Arkansas Title Insurance Act to grant title agents full access to electronic property records and other instruments documenting real estate transactions.

A new state House bill under consideration in Illinois would update the state’s property tax code and clarify the rules governing excess proceeds sales.

A state bill under consideration in Arkansas would allow title insurance agents to pay real property taxes when issuing a title.

A cybersecurity bill co-authored by Sens. John Hickenlooper and Shelley Moore Capito would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create a working group to improve industry practices and increase consumer awareness.

A Tennessee state senate bill proposes to enshrine a series of rights and requirements for real property transactions, including giving purchasers the exclusive right to select the settlement agent.

A state bill currently under committee review in Oregon would, if passed, create a task force dedicated to researching and implementing strategies for preventing title fraud.

Introduced to the Kentucky General Assembly on Jan. 9 and currently in senate committee, a state bill would define terms and create legal mechanisms for partition sales among cotenants.

The Maryland State Senate is considering a bill that would repeal and re-enact several sections of the Annotated Code of Maryland to update definitions, clarify requirements and modernize procedures for the filing, maintenance and transmission of land records.