ARTICLE 4. UNIFORM REAL PROPERTY ELECTRONIC RECORDING ACT.

§39A-4-1. Short title.

This article may be cited as the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act.

§39A-4-2. Definitions.

For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings stated below:

(1) “Document” means information that is:

(A) Inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form; and

(B) Eligible to be recorded in the land records maintained by the clerk of the county commission, herein after “county clerk” or “clerk”.

(2) “Electronic” means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities.

(3) “Electronic document” means a document that is received by the county clerk in an electronic form.

(4) “Electronic signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a document and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the document.

(5) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity.

(6) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

§39A-4-3. Validity of electronic documents.

(a) If a law requires, as a condition for recording, that a document be an original, be on paper or another tangible medium or be in writing, the requirement is satisfied by an electronic document satisfying the requirements of this article.

(b) If a law requires, as a condition for recording, that a document be signed, the requirement is satisfied by an electronic signature.

(c) A requirement that a document or a signature associated with a document be notarized, acknowledged, verified, witnessed, or made under oath is satisfied if the electronic signature of the person authorized to perform that act, and all other information required to be included, is attached to or logically associated with the document or signature. A physical or electronic image of a stamp, impression, or seal need not accompany an electronic signature on a document that complies with the electronic notarization procedure under §39-4-19 of this code and §153 CSR 45.

§39A-4-4. Recording of documents.

(a) In this section, “paper document” means a document that is received by the county clerk in a form that is not electronic.

(b) A county clerk:

(1) Who implements any of the functions listed in this section shall do so in compliance with standards established by the Real Property Electronic Recording Standards Advisory Committee pursuant to §39A-4-5 of this code;

(2) May receive, index, store, archive, and transmit electronic documents;

(3) May provide for access to, and search and retrieval of, documents and information by electronic means;

(4) Who accepts electronic documents for recording shall continue to accept paper documents as authorized by state law and shall place entries for both types of documents in the same index;

(5) May convert paper documents accepted for recording into electronic form;

(6) May convert information recorded before the clerk began to record electronic documents into electronic form;

(7) May accept electronically any fee or tax relating to electronic recording of real property documents that the clerk is authorized to collect; and

(8) May agree with other officials of a state or a political subdivision thereof, or of the United States, on procedures or processes to facilitate the electronic satisfaction of prior approvals and conditions precedent to recording and the electronic payment of fees and taxes.

§39A-4-6. Uniformity of application and construction.

In applying and construing the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

§39A-4-7. Relation to electronic signatures in global and national commerce act.

This article modifies, limits, and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001, et seq.) but does not modify, limit or supersede § 101(c) of that act (15 U.S.C. § 7001(c)) or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices described in § 103(b) of that act (15 U.S.C. § 7003(b)).

§39A-4-5. Administration and standards.

(a) For the purpose of keeping the standards and practices of county clerks in this state in harmony with the standards and practices of recording offices in other jurisdictions that enact substantially the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, and to keep the technology used by clerks in this state compatible with technology used by recording offices in other jurisdictions that enact substantially this act, the Secretary of State shall establish the Real Property Electronic Recording Standards Advisory Committee, developed pursuant to this article, to assist in the adoption, amendment, and repeal of standards and practices.

(b) The Secretary of State shall appoint at least 18 persons to serve on the committee. In selecting persons to serve on the committee, the Secretary of State shall appoint:

(1) At least one person who is an attorney who specializes in title work;

(2) At least one person who is a specialist in geographic information system (GIS) mapping;

(3) A representative of the Division of Highways;

(4) A representative of the County Clerks’ Association;

(5) A representative of the County Commissioners’ Association;

(6) A representative of the State Auditor;

(7) A representative of the Governor’s Office of Technology;

(8) A representative of the Division of Culture and History;

(9) A representative of the Community Bankers of West Virginia;

(10) A representative of the West Virginia Bankers’ Association;

(11) A representative of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund;

(12) A representative of the Real Estate Division of the Department of Administration;

(13) A representative of the Property Tax Division of the Department of Tax and Revenue;

(14) A representative of the West Virginia Board of Professional Surveyors;

(15) A representative of the West Virginia Real Estate Commission;

(16) At least one representative representing the mineral extraction industry;

(17) A representative of the West Virginia University College of Law with experience in real property law; and

(18) A representative of the Real Estate Lawyers Division of the West Virginia State Bar Association.

(c) In establishing, amending, and repealing standards and practices for the recording of documents in electronic form, storing electronic records, and setting up systems for searching for and retrieving these land records, the committee shall consider:

(1) Standards and practices of other jurisdictions;

(2) The most recent standards promulgated by national standard-setting bodies such as the Property Records Industry Association;

(3) The views of interested persons and governmental officials and entities;

(4) The needs of counties of varying size, population, and resources; and

(5) Standards requiring adequate information security protection to ensure that electronic documents are accurate, authentic, adequately preserved, and resistant to tampering.

(d) The Secretary of State, or his or her designee, shall serve as chair of the Real Property Electronic Recording Standards Advisory Committee.

(e) The Secretary of State shall:

(1) Provide administrative support to the committee; and

(2) Propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code that contain the standards to implement this article.

(f) Each person, agency, board, and organization on the committee shall cover his or her own expenses necessitated by participation on the committee.

(g) The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on or before January 1 of each year until its tasks are complete. The report shall include its efforts to adopt standards in accordance with the requirements of this article and recommendations for further legislative action necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article.