Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act

Increasingly, states are providing online access to statutes, regulations and court rules. How can states manage electronic legal information in such a way that access is guaranteed for future users? How can users be sure the material is trustworthy and has been authenticated? The Uniform Law Commission addresses these concerns with the publication of the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA).

Established in 1892, the ULC meets to review and draft statutes for areas of U.S. law that they feel should be consistent or uniform across the states. This model legislation can then be adopted as is, or with modifications, by individual states. Uniform acts cover a range of topics including probate, foreign money judgements, anatomical gifts, child custody and trade secrets. One well-known uniform act is the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

The American Bar Association's House of Delegates (ABA) approved the UELMA at its February 2012 meeting in New Orleans. Legislation has been introduced in Colorado, California and Tennessee.  The Colorado bill, HB 1209 was introduced January 30, 2012 and assigned to the Judiciary committee.

For more information on the UELMA, including a Legislative fact sheet and an explanation of why states should adopt the act, see the ULA website.

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator