(a) The recorders of San Bernardino County and Orange County may accept, in lieu of a written paper document, a digitized image of a recordable instrument if both of the following conditions are met:

(1) The requester and addressee for delivery of the recorded image meets the criteria set forth in either Section 27279.2 or 27279.3.

(2) The county recorder determines that accepting electronically recorded documents from the requester is in the best interest of the county and the public. Factors the county recorder shall consider include, but are not limited to, both of the following:

(A) Whether or not the volume and quality of digitized instruments submitted by the requester will be sufficient to warrant electronic recordation.

(B) Whether, in order to protect the county and the public, the requester has effective security precautions addressing potential fraud and forging of documents in the electronic recordation process.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares that, because of the unique circumstances applicable to the counties referenced in subdivision (a), as regards the present ability of these counties to process digitized images for electronic recordation, a statute of general applicability cannot be enacted within the meaning of subdivision (b) of § 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 463, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)