In 1999, the world’s population exceeded six billion people, scientists discovered the largest bacterium, and U.S. Women’s soccer team won the World Cup.
20 years later, in 2019, SignNow has its own special cause for celebration.
What are we celebrating in 2019?
20 years have passed since the e-commerce revolution took place. The UETA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act) was introduced in 1999 (being adopted in 47 states), providing legal validity to electronic signatures and records. As a matter of fact, since January 1, 2000, a single click on the “I Agree” button means that you’re signing the agreement.
Today, the e-signature has its own unique history after almost 20 years of existing in the business field when it finally became backed by law.
- 1999 – The UETA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act) and ESIGN Act were introduced.
- 2000 – The ESIGN Act (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce): it made the e-signature legally-valid and enforced it in the banking system, electronic products, services and delivery. The UETA took effect the same year.
- 2011- Digital Government Strategy: cloud adoption – a focus on data center consolidation and increased cybersecurity awareness.
- 2018 – Culminated in the signing of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) into law. This means that now, federal agencies should have mobile-friendly versions of any paper-based government process.
When someone says that laws are written through blood, sweat, and tears, it brings to mind the summary of the legal status of electronic signatures provided by District Court Judge Sylvia Rambo.
In a few words, after numerous digital signature concerns, e-signatures are now not only considered to be valid in the courtroom, but in court proceedings as well.
‘The court in Weckesser v. Knight Enters. S.E, LLC approved the use of a “secure e-signature program” for “receiving responses back from potential opt-in plaintiffs” in a class action.’
‘Real Property, Located at 6340 Logan Street, Sacramento. The court issued a stipulation and order regarding the interlocutory sale of Real Property, stating: “This Stipulation may also be executed and delivered by … any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000.’
One month left to implement e-signatures in federal agencies
The 21st Century IDEA Act was signed into law by the president in December, 2018, and federal agencies are required to promote the use of e-signatures. So there are
“180 days from the date of enactment to submit a plan to increase the use of electronic signatures on contracts and related documents”.
Well fortunately, SignNow is already compliant with the E-SIGN and UETA Acts. Agreements signed with SignNow can be presented as evidence in any court. Due to Audit Trail and Document History, you can find out the time, date, transaction ID and user associated with each and every action.
Note that 2019 may become a year of remote notarization, as the number of states adopting notary laws continues to grow. Thus, the question of security may appear and possibly, the E-SIGN and UETA Acts will need to be revised.
Afterall, the security of your e-signature provider is the highest priority these days. SignNow solves this issue with such methods as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and AES-256 bit encryption. This service has a strong background in IT security, and electronic signatures produced by SignNow are uniquely linked to the signatory or natural person who creates an electronic signature.
SignNow is a complete e-signature platform for government agencies. It allows you to sign any document from tax forms to visa applications. Federal organizations and enterprises can easily deploy SignNow’s private cloud e-signature solution. They can sign documents using digital certificates that are stored on their Common Access Card (CAC) or PIV smart card – all from the security of their own digital environment. SignNow guarantees full support during e-signature appliance deployment and follow-up consultations for troubleshooting issues whenever necessary.
Here’s the list of government organizations that already trust SignNow:
Account Control Technology, Bell County, BioReference Laboratories, The Fifth District Court of Appeal, Northside Center for Child Development, TA Realty, Tech Data Corporation.
