Substitute House Bill No. 5301 with File No. 554 proposes amendments to the fee structure for services provided by the Secretary of the State (SOTS). The bill introduces a tiered fee structure for document authentication and apostilles, reducing fees from $40 to $5 after July 1, 2025, with a temporary fee of $15 for adoption-related documents before that date. It also eliminates fees for filing certain documents under titles 4, 7, and 9, and for resolutions related to Treasury payments and probate judges' financial statements. Expedited service fees for document authentication or apostilles will decrease from $50 to $10 after July 1, 2025. The bill updates language for inclusivity, allows electronic filings, and includes provisions for credit card payments. Fee adjustments and language updates are also made for limited liability company filings, with an effective date of October 1, 2024.

The bill is expected to result in a revenue loss of approximately $920,000 in FY 26 for SOTS due to the reduction and elimination of certain fees. The elimination of fees for foreign LLC withdrawal and notary commission reissuance due to name changes will reduce revenue by about $30,000, while the reduced fees for apostille certifications and document authentications will account for an estimated $890,000 loss. The bill also notes that in 2023, the SOTS received 204 foreign LLC withdrawals and 24,751 apostille and authentication requests, including 7,563 expedited requests.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 3-99a
FIN Joint Favorable Substitute: 3-99a
File No. 554: 3-99a