AnalysisSenate Bill 626 started as a bill that would have repealed the prohibition against using remote notarization for the long list of documents listed in W.S. 140.145(10), most of which are considered estate planning documents. The bill was amended to keep the current prohibitions, but instead carves out a limited power of attorney for a real estate transaction. A "transaction" under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (W.S. 137.11(15)) was already exempted.
Note: Act No. 130, signed by the Governor on the same day as Senate Bill 626, now explicitly authorizes the remote notarization of estate planning documents including wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts, and others as defined in this new law.
Read Senate Bill 626.