Bill > H52

This bill proposes to amend the General Laws of Massachusetts by inserting new sections 84A through 84H, which enact the Uniform Unsworn Foreign Declarations Act. The key provisions of this bill are: 1) It allows for the use of unsworn declarations, which are signed records made under penalty of perjury, to have the same effect as sworn declarations in Massachusetts law, except for certain exceptions like depositions and oaths of office. 2) It defines key terms like "boundaries of the United States," "law," "record," "sign," "state," "sworn declaration," and "unsworn declaration." 3) It specifies that the act applies to unsworn declarations made by declarants physically located outside the boundaries of the United States, but not to those made on property within the United States that is subject to the jurisdiction of another country or a federally recognized Indian tribe. 4) It provides a standard form for unsworn declarations made under this act. 5) It states that the act should be interpreted to promote uniformity with other states that enact it, and that it modifies, limits, and supersedes certain provisions of the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2017 if enacted.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H52