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House passes bill letting towns post legal notices online after hours of debate on seniors and transparency
Summary
The House adopted an amended bill that lets municipalities satisfy legal notice requirements by posting notices on a town website (or another website of their choosing) and requires a retained physical copy with an affidavit. Supporters said it relieves an unfunded mandate; opponents warned it could disenfranchise seniors and disabled residents.
The Connecticut House on April 16 adopted an amended bill, HB 5289, that would allow municipalities to publish legally required municipal notices on a town website or other site of the municipality's choosing instead of mandating publication in a paid newspaper. Representative Carlos deGraw (the bill proponent) said the change removes an unfunded mandate and could save towns tens of thousands of dollars annually, noting examples that municipal notice costs can approach $50,000–$100,000 in some jurisdictions.
The amendment requires towns to retain a printed copy of posted notices accompanied by an affidavit that records the posting date so there is a durable record of when a notice was placed. Supporters argued that many local papers have shifted online and that town websites, email lists, bulletin boards and libraries provide alternative ways residents can access notices.
Opponents pressed several practical concerns. Representative Master Francesco, who owns a local paper, warned that many seniors and people with limited internet access rely on printed newspapers and said moving notices online could make them “out of sight, out of mind.” Several members pointed to people with disabilities, limited broadband coverage, or low digital literacy as groups that could be effectively disenfranchised if the change is not accompanied by robust outreach and accommodations.
Representative Cabros deGraw said the bill leaves towns flexibility — they may continue to publish in a newspaper if they choose — and that the amendment preserves options such as posting notices in town hall, sandwich boards for referenda, or using local online news outlets. She also said the bill is silent on website circulation because existing “circulation” rules applied to printed newspapers and are difficult to apply to online-only publications.
Lawmakers debated whether the change should be framed as a mandate; proponents characterized the current requirement to publish in newspapers as an unfunded mandate, while opponents called the measure a mandate to post on municipal websites. Questions about standardizing where notices are posted, requiring towns to notify residents when they stop publishing in a newspaper, and measures to ensure accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities were raised but not added to the floor amendment.
After extensive remarks on both sides, the chamber adopted the amendment by voice vote and passed the bill by roll call.
