(Originally published in the April 2017 issue of The National Notary magazine.)
Notaries may be confused by references to acronyms such as “RULONA” and “MENA” and terms such as “Uniform Laws” and “Model Acts” and when talking about new Notary statutes. Below is a quick reference guide on uniform and model legislation used by many states when creating Notary statutes.
RULONA
RULONA stands for the “Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.” RULONA was created by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), a non-governmental body originally formed to promote standardized laws for business and commerce in different states. It is a uniform act, which means it is intended to promote uniformity in the Notary laws and administrative rules of different states. RULONA addresses electronic notarization in general terms. It has been adopted in Iowa, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
MNA
MNA stands for the “Model Notary Act.” It was drafted by the NNA as a model statute to replace the NNA’s Uniform Notary Act of 1973 that was produced in collaboration with the Yale Law School. Unlike a uniform act (RULONA), the scope of the MNA is much larger. The MNA has served legislators and Notary regulating officials for nearly four decades beginning in 1984. It was revised in 2002 and 2010. 2002 was the first version of the MNA to include provisions on electronic notarization, and those initial provisions were revised and expanded in 2010.
MENA
MENA stands for the “Model Electronic Notarization Act.” It was created by the National Notary Association as a model act to provide specific rules for electronic notarization and Notary-related technology. The MENA provides guidance and model language on several technology topics such as webcam notarization, electronic document notarization and electronic journals. The MENA may be enacted as a “plug in” to supplement a state or jurisdiction’s existing Notary laws, or used as the source for administrative rules. The RULONA, MNA and MENA are not laws in and of themselves. They must be introduced and enacted in individual state legislatures before becoming law.
David Thun is the Assistant Managing Editor with the National Notary Association.
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