Secretary of State cleanup bill would strip Social Security numbers from filings, modernize notary and trade‑name rules

The Senate Committee on Industry and Business heard testimony on Senate Bill 2144 on technical cleanup changes proposed by the Office of the Secretary of State. The bill would remove references to taxpayer identification numbers (for example Social Security numbers and FEINs) from several state code sections, allow electronic notice to trade‑name registrants and notaries, permit notaries to pass through third‑party technology fees for remote notarizations, and add a 30‑day process for the Secretary of State to investigate and cancel trade‑name filings that misrepresent affiliation, witnesses said.

Secretary of State staff described the bill as housekeeping intended to reduce data‑breach risk and improve customer service. "Collecting data we don't use is just bad practice," Ms. McMurdie told the committee,…