The Civil Justice Subcommittee voted unanimously to send House Bill 1340 to full Judiciary after receiving a brief explanation from the sponsor that the measure implements training and testing requirements for online notary commissions.

Chairman Farmer noted the Secretary of State's Office had provided an attendee, and Representative Farmer said the bill requires applicants for online-notary commissions to take an approved class about online notarization practices and pass a test before receiving an online commission. The sponsor and staff said the education requirement reflects differences between online and traditional notarial practice, including technology and ethical obligations.

No committee members asked follow-up questions, and the committee recorded 8 ayes, 0 nos.

Why it matters: As remote notarization grows, states are increasingly adopting rules that require training or certification for online notaries to ensure appropriate use of technology and protection against fraud.

What happened next: HB 1340 advances to full Judiciary.