Vermont S 174: An act relating to publication of State, county, and municipal notices on electronic news media

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.174
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VT LEG #358868 v.1
S.174 1
Introduced by Senator White 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Notice by publication; newspapers of record; electronic news media 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to allow the 6
State and its political subdivisions to publish public notices on electronic news 7
media and defines “electronic news media” for purposes of notice by 8
publication. 9
An act relating to publication of State, county, and municipal notices on 10
electronic news media 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. 1 V.S.A. § 174 is amended to read: 13
§ 174. NOTICE BY PUBLICATION 14
(a) When a notice is required to be given by publication in a newspaper, it 15
shall mean a newspaper published in the county where the subject matter is 16
situated, pending or to be heard, or a newspaper published within the State 17
which that has a general circulation. In any case, in its discretion, the court 18
may cause such the notice to be further published in a newspaper which that 19
circulates in the neighborhood of the persons interested. 20

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VT LEG #358868 v.1
(b) Whenever a notice of any kind is required to be given by publication in 1
a newspaper prior to a certain date for a certain number of weeks successively, 2
it may be given by an insertion prior to such that date once a week, for the 3
number of successive weeks required, either in a daily, semiweekly, or weekly 4
newspaper. If such publication is in a daily or semiweekly newspaper, such 5
notice shall be inserted on the same day of each successive week. 6
(c) Whenever the State or its political subdivisions are required to publish 7
notice in a newspaper, the State or political subdivision may publish the notice 8
on electronic news media, as defined in 3 V.S.A. § 119. However, any notice 9
affecting interests in property shall also be published in a conventional 10
newspaper of record. 11
Sec. 2. 3 V.S.A. § 119 is added to read: 12
§ 119. ELECTRONIC NEWS MEDIA; NOTICE BY PUBLICATION 13
(a) As used in this section, “electronic news media” means an Internet 14
website dedicated to Vermont news that is regularly accessed and used by the 15
people of Vermont. Electronic news media shall meet the following criteria: 16
(1) The website publishes the majority of its content in the English 17
language. 18
(2) The website must be accessible to not less than a majority of 19
residents in each county where the notice is directed. 20

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VT LEG #358868 v.1
(3) For municipal notices, the website must be regularly accessed and 1
trafficked by a number of persons from that municipality representing not less 2
than 50 percent of the municipality’s population. 3
(4) The website regularly publishes information of a public character of 4
interest to Vermont residents, property owners, or the general public. 5
(b)(1) An electronic news media website publishing public notice shall 6
maintain a separate, clearly labeled area for current and active notices. 7
(2) An electronic news media website publishing public notice shall 8
maintain a searchable database of stored notices. Stored notices shall be 9
searchable by keyword, date, subject, and publishing governmental entity. 10
(c) The State and its political subdivisions shall maintain records of notices 11
published on electronic news media in the same manner as records of notices 12
published in a newspaper of record. 13
Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 14
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2022. 15