HARRISBURG — Montgomery County Registrar of Deeds Jeanne Sorg was pleased to participate in the signing of PA House Bill 269, which amends the 1868 state law authorizing recorders of deeds to record military discharge papers and extends the confidentiality of recorded military discharges from 75 to 85 years after recording.

“This is such an important victory for Pennsylvania veterans,” Sorg said in a Montgomery County news release. “Our veterans are living longer and these documents are the most important document a veteran can hold. They also contain a lot of sensitive information. We want to keep our veterans’ information secure for as long as possible.

“I am grateful to Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg and her team for their advocacy on behalf of Pennsylvania veterans and for bringing this issue to my attention,” said Rep. Joe Webster. “Our veterans deserve to be reassured that their personal information is protected. It is our duty as a grateful nation to protect those who protect us, and I am honored and grateful to see this expansion of privacy enacted into law.

“This represents another victory for our veterans,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said while signing the bill at the Capitol.

Sorg presented this issue to Webster in 2019, and she testified before the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee in 2023 on the importance of this legislation. HB269 was then moved out of committee in 2023 and passed unanimously by the Pennsylvania House and Senate in October 2024, the release said.

“I spent a lot of my time as recorder of deeds fighting for this bill,” Sorg said. “I am pleased to have been at the State Capitol when Governor Shapiro signed the bill.”

Before a recorded discharge reaches the age 85 threshold, the document is only available to the veteran, their immediate family and Veterans Affairs. Veterans and their families should contact the Registrar of Deeds for steps to request copies of recorded military discharge papers.

In a recent survey conducted by the Recorder of Deeds of Montgomery County veterans, 56 percent responded as being over the age of 75, while 31 percent responded as being between the ages of 65 and 74, the release said.

“We know that veterans and seniors are the main targets of fraud,” Sorg said. “These additional 10 years will help ensure the security of our veterans’ personal information. »

The Recorder of Deeds is responsible for maintaining the integrity of all land records in Montgomery County and acts as custodian of bonds and commissions of county elected officials, judges of common pleas, and magisterial district judges; military demobilization papers (DD214) of all eligible military personnel and reservists; plans for subdivisions, national roads and railways; powers of attorney; and other miscellaneous documents. To learn more about the Montgomery County Registrar of Deeds, visit www.montgomerycountypa.gov/rod.

Originally published: October 30, 2024 at 1:46 p.m. EDT