PUBLIC PRINTING: Provides for official journals for the state and political subdivisions and for publishing legal notices (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

HB 977 updates the laws governing official state and local newspapers by correcting the list of statutes it amends to include new sections on publication costs. The bill requires that all official state notices, advertisements, and proclamations be published in a daily newspaper designated as the "Official Journal of the State," which must meet specific circulation and location requirements in Baton Rouge. A key provision mandates that this official journal provide a free statement of the total cost charged to the government for any published notice, ensuring transparency without charging extra for that specific cost disclosure. Similar rules are applied to local political subdivisions, requiring their official journals to include free cost statements for legally required publications. These new cost transparency requirements will take effect on January 1, 2025.