What's happening
This bill allows required legal notices to be published online in a newspaper's website legal notice section, not just in print.
Why it matters
Expands public access to legal notices. By requiring that legal notices be posted online in addition to print, the bill makes it easier for people who rely on digital media to find important government and legal information.
Modernizes legal notice requirements. The amendment acknowledges changes in how the public consumes news, updating an old law that only considered print newspapers as valid for official notices.
Could reduce publication costs. Local governments, businesses, or individuals required to publish legal notices may have more flexible—and potentially cheaper—options by using online postings.
May impact transparency and accountability. Online legal notices can be more easily searched, archived, and shared, potentially improving public oversight and historical record-keeping compared to print-only notices.
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Who cares
Newspaper publishers and their corporate subsidiaries
The bill would recognize legal notice sections they maintain on a newspaper’s website as qualifying outlets for legally required notices.
County, city, town and village governments
The bill would let them satisfy newspaper notice requirements through qualifying online legal notice sections, provided notices meet the legally required form and duration.
Businesses and individuals required to publish legal notices
The bill would allow qualifying website publication to satisfy their newspaper notice obligations without requiring physical publication.
Headline styles
Allow Online Legal Notices
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1799
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to the meaning of the term "newspaper" for the purposes of publishing certain notices required by law
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision c of section 60 of the general construction law, as added by chapter 767 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
c. The term "newspaper of a county, city, town or village" when used in a statute shall mean a newspaper published, circulated, printed or distributed in the county, city, town or village. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in any case in which notice of any fact is required by law to be published by or advertised in a newspaper, the term "newspaper of a county, city, town or village" shall include, in addition to its physical publication, any legal notice section maintained by such newspaper or by one of its corporate subsidiaries on the newspaper's website. Notice of any fact required by law to be published in a newspaper will be deemed sufficient if published in the form and for the duration required by law in such legal notice section of a newspaper's website.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01873-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.