PA Congresswoman Behind Push To Modernize Notarization Process

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal legislator from Pennsylvania has signed onto bipartisan legislation designed to update and modernize the notarization process both inside and outside the United States.

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has joined with Congressman Kelly Armstrong, a North Dakota Republican, to push for the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote Electronic Notarization Act, which would allow every notary in the U.S. to perform remote online notarization as well as enable signers located outside the country to securely notarize documents.

Dean and Armstrong were the prime sponsors of the federal legislation, which subsequently won the support of 31 other House members, and eventually landed a total of 125 cosponsors.

On Thursday, Dean's office announced that the full House of Representatives passed the SECURE Act on a vote of 336 to 90.

According to Dean, passage of the act would allow for the immediate use of remote online notarization and allow military personnel and others stationed outside of the United States to securely notarize any documents.

"The pandemic has shown us how crucial online access is for so many areas of our life, including notarization," Dean said in a statement. "The SECURE Notarization Act will update our notarization process so that people across our country, and those living outside of the U.S. for military service or other reasons, can have their documents notarized remotely."

Dean called the legislation "commonsense," noting that it now heads to the Senate for review.

Armstrong said the bill would offer consumers "a convenient way to safely and securely complete documents," and that the bipartisan measure would permit nationwide use of remote notarization, "increasing access to this important process."

Companion legislation currently exists in the other chamber of Congress that is sponsored by Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, and Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia.

Dean, who represents Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who previously served as a local commissioner in Abington Township, the town from which she hails.