House Bill No. 5289, as amended, aims to modernize the publication requirements for municipal legal notices by allowing municipalities to post these notices on their websites instead of mandating publication in newspapers. The bill repeals the existing requirement for newspaper publication and introduces new provisions that require municipalities to post legal notices conspicuously on their websites, including the date of posting. Additionally, municipalities may choose to publish these notices on selected websites or in daily or weekly newspapers. If a notice must be published multiple times, municipalities can fulfill this requirement by posting it on their websites the necessary number of times and at the required intervals.

The bill also stipulates that municipalities must retain a physical copy of each notice posted on their websites for at least one year, accompanied by an affidavit from the individual responsible for posting the notice, attesting to the date and time of posting. The changes do not affect existing laws regarding publication deadlines or minimum frequency for notices. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2026, and is expected to result in cost savings for municipalities by reducing the need for newspaper publications. House Amendment "A" further clarifies the affidavit requirement and makes minor adjustments to the language.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 1-2
PD Joint Favorable Substitute: 1-2
File No. 62: 1-2
File No. 608: 1-2