This bill amends existing legislation to allow online news publications to meet eligibility standards for publishing legal notices by utilizing municipal, county, or State-wide circulation requirements. Specifically, it introduces a provision that states a legal notice published in an online news publication will be considered compliant with geographic and circulation requirements if the publisher demonstrates a good faith effort to use a compliant publication. Additionally, the bill expands the criteria for qualifying as an eligible online news publication by including the option for publications to meet county-wide or State-wide circulation requirements to also satisfy municipal-wide requirements.

Furthermore, the bill extends the grace period for newspapers that are permitted to be used for legal notices from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026. It also clarifies that the price for publishing public notices in online formats shall not exceed established rates and that no fees or registration will be required for viewing these notices. Overall, the bill aims to modernize the process of legal notice publication by accommodating online platforms while ensuring compliance with existing legal standards.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 35:3-3