Today in Annapolis (Tues. 3/9): Two of the MSBA priority bills featured in our MSBA Virtual Lobby Day presentations back in January are receiving hearings today in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (JPR). They are SB 735 – State Government – Notarial Acts – Remote Notarization, which would provide statutory authority to preserve provisions of Governor Hogan’s Executive Order of March, 2020 related to Remote Notarization, and would expand that authority to include remote notarization of certain wills and trust documents. Also being heard in Senate JPR will be SB 820 – Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution, which would provide statutory authority for remote witnessing of estate planning documents in a manner consistent with Governor Hogan’s Executive Order of March, 2020 authorizing remote witnessing. Both bills are Sponsored by Senator Chris West, and the bills are being presented to the Judicial Proceedings Committee by the leadership of the MSBA Estates & Trusts Section, which was instrumental in the promulgation of both the remote notarization and the remote witnessing Executive Orders issued by the Governor last spring.