The Pennsylvania Senate on April 7 unanimously approved a bill that includes emergency measures—necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak—to help local governments conduct business and provide for remote notarization of key documents.

Senate Bill 841, sponsored by Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, would take a number of steps to ensure local governments can continue to operate during the coronavirus pandemic.

It would allow members of local governments to participate in meetings and conduct other business remotely during the governor's disaster declaration, and ensure transparency of remote meetings, including provisions for public notice and posting minutes.

Municipalities would also be authorized to extend deadlines for property tax discount rates up to Aug. 31, and waive any fee or penalty for late payments of property taxes if paid in full by the end of the year.

According to a statement from Martin, the tax provisions empower local government bodies to help taxpayers who are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 crisis.

SB 841 also included a provision to extend the ability of notaries to conduct business remotely.

Notaries public would still be required to confirm an individual's identity and reasonably identify records, and an audio/visual recording of the notarial act and all related interactions would be required.

Finally the bill also reauthorizes the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, which is responsible for collecting and analyzing data about the cost and quality of health care in the state and making recommendations to reduce the cost of care.

The panel, Martin said in his statement, would be responsible for preparing a report on the effect of the COVID-19 emergency on health care facilities, including expenses and lost revenue during the crisis to determine additional financial assistance.