Notaries public; appointment; adding examination requirement; journal criteria; providing for transmitting journal to Secretary of State; effective date.

The entire bill text was replaced with a committee substitute version that maintains the same policy provisions but uses different page numbering and formatting conventions.

Header information was changed from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL' to 'PROPOSED POLICY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' with updated committee and date information.

Page footers were updated from 'ENGR. H. B. NO. 2265' to 'Req. No. 12242' with new page numbering throughout the document.

Added examination requirement for new notary commission applicants, requiring them to pass an exam administered by the Secretary of State or approved entity.

Established a required course of study covering notarial laws, rules, procedures, and ethics that must be offered to applicants.

Updated journal requirements to mandate retention for 10 years after last notarial act, with options for electronic or tangible formats.

Added requirement that felony convictions serve as grounds for removal from notary office.

Established detailed journal entry requirements including date/time, record description, individual information, and fee charged.

Added procedures for handling lost/stolen journals and transmission of journals upon resignation, death, or incompetency.

Set specific filing fees: $25 for new commissions, $20 for renewals, and $25 additional for same-day service.

Changed bill title from 'Notaries Public Reform Act of 2025' to descriptive language about notary public examination and journal requirements.

Changed the bill title from 'PROPOSED POLICY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to reflect current legislative procedure.

Updated the bill reference number from Req. No. 12242 to Req. No. 13026 across multiple pages.

Changed the bill identifier from 60-1-12242 to 60-1-13026 in the final section.

Updated the date stamp from 01/23/25 to 02/27/25 to reflect the House Committee's amendment date.