At a ceremony in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Greater Falls Church today, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed into law two pieces of legislation that were championed by State Sen. Adam Ebbin (to McAulilffe’s immediate left) and State Del. Alfonso Lopez (far left in picture). The laws impose stiff penalties against perpetrators of fraud targeting immigrants and other new Americans who, in particular, use the term “notario publicos” to misrepresent themselves as providers of legal advice when they are not so authorized.

Since the term “notario” in Latin American countries signifies a person capable of providing legal advice, using the term in the U.S. to misrepresent that role now constitutes illegal fraud. McAuliffe touted the new legislation for its role in helping to encourage “greater economic opportunity for all Virginians,” adding, “My top priority is to build a new Virginia economy that is open and welcoming to all.”