The Assembly Committee on Government Affairs opened a public hearing on Assembly Bill 72, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of State, which proposes changes to Nevada's notary and document-preparer laws to modernize regulation and strengthen consumer protections.

Deputy Secretary of State Ruben Rodriguez presented the bill's principal amendments. Rodriguez said AB72 would require a separate bond for each distinct business entity or sole proprietorship that offers document-preparation services, change permissive bond language to a mandatory requirement (replace "may" with "shall"), establish a code of professional responsibility for notaries, prescribe an affidavit form, and clarify electronic-notary provisions so that an e‑notary must be physically present in Nevada when conducting an electronic notarial act by audiovisual communication. "By replacing 'may' with 'shall' the amendment transforms the bond filing requirement from optional to mandatory," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez told the committee the Secretary of State enforces notary and document-preparer rules under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 240 and related provisions for document-preparation registration (referred to in testimony as NRS 240A). He said the office has seen growth in registrants (2,084 active document-preparation registrants in FY 2024) and a marked rise in active notaries (36,732 in FY 2024), and said gaps in bonds and multiple licenses issued under related names can create consumer-protection risks.

Supporters who testified said the bill will strengthen consumer protections and access. Chelsea Capurro of Proof, which provides online-notarization platforms, said AB72 "takes an important step toward making the notaries of Nevada even more reliable and professional." The Nevada Disability Action Coalition voiced support, calling e-notary access helpful for rural and disabled residents. Shauna Brennan, the advocacy attorney for the rights of older persons at the Aging and Disability Services Division, said the bill's ethics and competency measures are important to protect seniors and people with disabilities and recommended the SOS consider incorporating the state's competency-certificate processes into the code.

The Nevada Land Title Association offered neutral testimony and indicated it will continue to work with the Secretary of State on bill language. The committee recorded no callers or witnesses in opposition during the hearing.

Committee members asked whether the in‑state e-notary requirement could burden traveling notaries or military members. Deputies said the office is open to drafting amendments and is working with vendors to verify geographic compliance (for example, by IP address) but cited enforcement limits over actions taken outside Nevada. Secretary Aguilar said the office has engaged with stakeholders and will propose amendments as needed.

The hearing record shows the secretary and staff are continuing conversations with business groups and compliance teams to refine language. The committee closed the hearing on AB72 with no vote; members did not take a formal floor motion on the bill during this session. The SOS indicated it will submit proposed amendments for further committee consideration.