Florida Lawmakers File Bill to Protect Immigrants from Notary Fraud

A new version of a bill that was introduced in 2023 is here. The SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 has been introduced to the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives.

Oregon Republican Representative Cliff Bentz is the originator of the bill, which is now called H.R. 1777.

What the SECURE Notarization Act Does

We are going to go through the basics. Please understand we are not lawyers, so take our review with a pinch of salt.

The SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 aims to install standards for interstate commerce, notarizations done beyond state lines. It will install minimum standards states must follow when dealing with situations when the notary assigned is not from the state of signing.

Basically, any signing affecting interstate commerce falls under the purview, and other things like judicial proceedings. The bill does not specify every situation, although it does go into detail on many as you dig through the bill.

Both states and federal institutions will have to acknowledge and follow the new rules (if the bill navigates all of the steps and gets passed).

Whose Rules to Follow

Signings still must be done under the laws of the state of the notarys’ licensed state. State courts must follow this. Notarys’ must also follow the minimum directives set forth in the bill.

While this makes courts follow the laws put forth in other states, but makes it easier on notaries, as they only need to follow the laws of the state they are licensed in, as well as the minimum requirements set forth in the bill.

If the Notary is in the Wrong

The SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 puts forth rules regarding the sanctioning and false advertising of notaries. Of note, is that the rules set forth are many of the same as the recent bill we wrote about concerning Florida notary law on Notarios.

States are still in charge of sanctioning notaries, including suspensions and rejections.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to prevent a State, or a notarial regulatory official of a State, from— establishing requirements and qualifications for, or denying, refusing to renew, revoking, suspending, or imposing a condition on, a commission or appointment as a notary public;

False advertising under the SECURE Notarization Act is mainly focused on notaries that are not licensed lawyers in their state.

An emphasis in placed on notarios. Notaries would no longer be allowed to call themselves a notario or notario publico.

Unless specific rules are in place for the notary, they would no longer be able to say they give immigration advice or advice on how to become a United States citizen.

Our Thoughts on the SECURE Notarization Act of 2025

The SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 would be a step forward in uniting rules between states, and potential freeing up notaries for more work. While the current version is still vague, these bills tend to mature as they go through the process.

The process?

It is important to remember this bill has only been recently introduced to the House of Representatives and sent to committee.

There is a long way before it can become law.

The House would have to vote yes on it, it would have to be sent to the Senate who will draft their own bill, which is then negotiated with the House bill. The Senate would then have to vote yes and it would be passed to the president.

The SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 would take some good steps into establishing signings between states. This would simplify the process, even though some laws between states vary.

We’ll find out if it gains any traction in the House and Senate.

March 4th is a rare public workshop for notaries. The event will be held at Cayuga Community College in Auburn New York.

Noted speaker Alfred E. Piombino will be leading the session, which will last from 9am to 1pm. Parking for the event is free and there is public transportation at the college.

The class itself is $125. That includes study material. This consists of two books, Notary Public Register and Recordkeeping Protocols, as well as Notary Public Handbook: A Guide for New York.

Attendance at this seminar is a must for every prospective Notary Public to properly prepare for the serious legal authority, duties and myriad responsibilities of holding this public officer appointment,” said Alfred E. Piombino, the course pioneer and faculty.

“Simply taking and passing the 40-question examination, implemented in 1950 by New York Secretary of State Thomas J. Curran, is a good start, but it’s not sufficient preparation by itself to fully understand and execute all the required duties,” said Piombino.

The renowned course taught by Piombino will provide far-reaching reviews of the duties and responsibilities of New York Notary Public. It also will teach official state law examination preparation.

“First appointed as a New York Notary Public in 1981, I easily passed the state law examination because I was a business school student, but I really didn’t fully understand the scope and depth of my duty which inspired my further legal research,” he adds.

“This frustration with a lack of accurate, adequate resources sparked my sense of intellectual curiosity and was the catalyst of forty years of passion for dedicating myself to this niche, legal scholarship, researching, writing and teaching – to not only help other legal practitioners better protect themselves from legal liability, but also to protect the integrity of the civil and criminal court systems,” adds Piombino.

“Notarial legal ineptitude, intentional or unintentional, definitively leads to the insidious denigration of all courts, erodes public confidence and stymies good-faith efforts to effectively and fairly deliver justice to litigants, victims and defendants,” Piombino emphasized. 

The New York Secretary of State conducts the testing portion. This is done through the Department of State. Four sample law exams and answer keys are given to each attendant to help facilitate learning.

Members of the Civil Service Employees Association union may submit a voucher to cover the cost of the training. The CSEA Tuition Benefit Voucher is available to reimburse union member state employees for the New York State Examination fee.

Space is limited. To find out more or sign up for the training event visit the Cayuga Community College website here Cayuga Community College Office of Community Education & Workforce Development Courses .