MA House Bill 4850

Legislation

State: Massachusetts
Signed: June 25, 2004

Effective: July 01, 2004
Chapter: 149

Summary

House Bill 4850 enacts into statute a journal exemption for attorneys similar to one in the modified Executive Order of Governor Romney, which became mandatory for all Massachusetts Notaries on May 15, 2004.

Affects

Amends Section 12 to Chapter 222 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Changes
  1. Exempts attorneys and counselors-at-law, paralegals, legal secretaries and other legal staff who perform notarizations in their regular employment from keeping a journal of their Notary transactions. 
Analysis

Tacked onto a budget bill, this new provision enacts into statute a journal exemption for attorneys similar to one in the modified Executive Order of Governor Romney, which became mandatory for all Massachusetts Notaries on May 15, 2004. The NNA urged the Governor to line-item veto this provision and he did so, on June 29, 2004. (Like his earlier veto of other Notary legislation, the veto appeared not to be based on a philosophical difference with the legislation but rather on removing any rules applying to Notaries apart from his Executive Order.) However, the Governor’s veto was overridden on July 22, 2004, by a 141-11 vote in the House and a 33-5 vote in the Senate.

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