NEWSPAPERS; PUBLIC NOTICES                                                                                                     S.B. 258 (S-2) & 259:

                                                                                                                                                                                                      SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                                                                                                        REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 258 (Substitute S-2 as reported)

Senate Bill 259 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:   Senator Curtis VanderWall (S.B. 258)

                            Senator Sylvia Santana (S.B. 259)

Committee:   Local Government

CONTENT

Senate Bill 258 (S-2) would amend Public Act 247 of 1963, which defines the term "newspaper" as used in State statutes regarding the publication of notices, to do the following:

 --       Modify the definition of "newspaper".

 --       Require a person that operated a newspaper in which a notice was published to provide access to the notice within 72 hours of receiving a request on the newspaper's website at no additional cost, and require the website to satisfy other requirements.

 --       R equire a person that operated a newspaper in which a notice was published to place the notice on a website that was established and maintained by a State association of newspapers, and require the website to comply with certain requirements.

 --       Specify that a publication that met the definition of "newspaper" but was controlled by the person on whose behalf the notice was published or by an officer, employee, agent, or affiliate of the person would not be qualified to serve as a newspaper for publication of the notice.

Senate Bill 259 would amend the Revised Judicature Act to redefine "newspaper", with respect to the publication of a notice, as that term would be defined in Senate Bill 258, with the required area being the county in which the court was located, unless a different required area was designated.

The bills are tie-barred. Senate Bill 259 also would repeal Section 1950 of the Revised Judicature Act. (That section defines "newspaper" for the purposes of Chapter 19 (Commencement of Action and Service of Process) of the Act.)

MCL 691.1051 (S.B. 258)                                                                             Legislative Analyst:   Christian Schmidt

            600.1461 (S.B. 259)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local units of government.

Date Completed:   6-23-21                                                                                                     Fiscal Analyst:   Ryan Bergan

Joe Carrasco

Michael Siracuse

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.