AnalysisHouse File2465 makes a couple of corrections to the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) that was recently enacted by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. The RULONA is a comprehensive rewrite of Iowa’s Notary laws that will take effect January 1, 2013. The changes are to replace the words “notary public” with “notarial officer” and “notarization occurs” with “notarial act is performed” in the definition of “personal appearance.” Under the RULONA, the term “notarial officer” is used to emphasize that the rules apply not just to commissioned Notaries Public, but also to ex officio Notaries. In this case, the correction is important. Without the change, the definition of “personal appearance” could have been interpreted to allow ex officio Notaries the authority to perform notarial acts outside of the physical presence of the document signer. It is unusual for a recently enacted law that had not taken effect to be amended, but in this case the correction was necessary.
Read House File 2465.