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Senate Passes Bill Requiring Legal Notices Also Be Posted on Local News Websites; Sponsors Say It Expands Transparency
Summary
House Bill 7‑73 passed third reading after senators debated whether the requirement would impose statewide costs by requiring duplicate postings for counties with qualifying news websites.
The Tennessee Senate approved House Bill 7‑73 on third and final consideration. The bill adds a requirement that, when legal notices must be published in a newspaper of general circulation, the notice also be published on one other local news and information website in the county if one qualifies.
Sponsor Senator Yeager explained the measure on the floor, saying it "provides that when legal notices are required to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, the notice must also be published in 1 other news and information website in the county if 1 is available." He said the change ‘‘simply adds another layer of transparency for legal notices to the general public’’ and noted the bill sets criteria for what qualifies as a news and information website.
Senator Yarbrough raised concerns about the bill's statewide impact, arguing the criteria could apply in many counties and that requiring both a newspaper and a qualifying website to publish notices effectively doubles publication costs for private parties, counties and the state. "Every private person or company that's doing a notice... is going to have to do 2 notices," he said, warning the measure could create significant costs that the bill did not address.
Yeager noted that, under the bill's specific criteria, only Campbell County currently qualifies and that the bill had been requested by that county. After floor debate, the clerk reported the vote as 23 ayes and 7 nays; the president declared the bill passed and the motion to reconsider was tabled.
The bill clarifies criteria for qualifying websites and prohibits publication on websites that require a fee or subscription to view the notices. The transcript record does not include subsequent House action on the enacted language in this session.
