Georgia Issues Executive Order Requiring Acceptance of Electronic Signatures and Corporate Seals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2020, WASHINGTON, DC — The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) commends Georgia Governor Kemp for issuing a broad executive order, Empowering a Healthy Georgia, which includes a provision requiring public agencies to accept electronically-issued contract and commercial surety bonds. The electronic bonding portion of the Executive Order will help to ensure workers are not put at risk while conducting essential business related to the issuance of contract and commercial surety bonds on vital construction projects and other commercial business operations.

“We have been working tirelessly across the country with state and local agencies to help keep thousands of agents and other workers safe as they go through the ‘re-open’ process. This order requires that public procurement officers accept electronic signatures and electronic corporate seals,” said SFAA President and CEO Lee Covington. “We thank Governor Kemp and his staff for recognizing the importance of issuing this order and will continue to advocate for the acceptance of e-signatures and e-corporate seals during these unprecedented times. The infrastructure projects and state businesses that these bonds support is essential to getting people back to work and our economy back on track,” continued Covington.

Surety Bonds are required by the laws of every state to provide important protections for the public. Construction surety bonds provide critical protections to taxpayers by guaranteeing the performance of contractors, in addition to guaranteeing the payment of small business sub-contractors, suppliers, and workers. Commercial Bonds guarantee the obligations of businesses and individuals, such as mortgage broker bonds, contractor license bonds, and guardian bonds, thereby upholding federal, state, and local 27laws that protect families and consumers from financial harm.

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The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) is a trade association of more than 425 insurance companies that write 98 percent of surety and fidelity bonds in the U.S. SFAA is licensed as a rating or advisory organization in all states and it has been designated by state insurance departments as a statistical agent for the reporting of fidelity and surety experience. www.surety.org 

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Contact:  Peter Roth – VP Strategic Communications, Marketing and Research
Phone:  (703) 401-0676  E-mail:  proth@surety.org