Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have introduced legislation to allow remote online notarizations. 

The proposed bill, the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act, will permit immediate nationwide use of Remote Online Notarizations (RONs), a type of electronic notarization where the notary and signer are in different physical locations. 

The two lawmakers introduced a similar bill in 2020.

“Americans shouldn’t have to risk their health or safety to execute important financial or legal documents, especially when they could do so from the safety of their own home,” Cramer said in a press release on Monday. 

“The SECURE Notarization Act brings the notary process into the 21st century, allowing people to securely complete documents while still following recommended health and social practices amid the coronavirus pandemic.”

“Virginia has safely and securely allowed the use of remote notarizations for years,” Warner said in the statement. “At a time when most people should be staying at home, there’s no reason anyone should have to leave just to get notary services.”

The proposed legislation is endorsed by the American Land Title Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors.