Howard Dean: “I thank Chairman Pallone for his work and that of his committee. I thank Representative Carter, and I especially thank…”

“I thank Chairman Pallone for his work and that of his committee. I thank Representative Carter, and I especially thank Representative Armstrong for working alongside me on the SECURE Notarization Act, H.R. 3962. The SECURE Notarization Act will authorize nationwide use of remote online notarization, also known as RON, and would include key consumer protections, including multifactor authentication of the signer and the use of tamper-evident technology. The bill would also ensure the certainty of interstate recognition of RON. Importantly, this bill sets a floor for the use of remote online notarization, and States will be able to regulate further protections as they decide. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us so much about the necessity and the benefits of new technologies used to streamline services for consumers across industries. Remote online notarization has been and should continue to be a time-saving, convenient, and safe way for consumers to execute important documents. Notarizations are used extensively in real estate transactions and in other key areas, including affidavits, powers of attorney, living wills, advance directives, and more. Remote online notarizations allow the consumer, notary, and other parties to a transaction to be in different locations using two-way audio-visual communication to securely notarize documents. This process provides assured consumer access to notarization and affords customers options and flexible scheduling.…”