AB 655, as introduced, Quirk-Silva. Court reporters: salary fund.
Existing law provides for the appointment of official reporters of the courts, and prescribes the fees and compensation for reporting services. Existing law requires the charge of an official court reporter fee, in addition to any other fee required in civil actions or cases, for the services of an official court reporter on the first and each succeeding judicial day those services are provided, as specified. Fees collected pursuant to this provision may be used only to pay for services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings.
Existing law, applicable to proceedings in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, directs specified amounts to be set aside from the revenue of the court, including fees for reporting services payable by the parties, for deposit in the Reporters’ Salary Fund. Existing law requires the salaries and benefits of official reporters to be paid from the fund, and authorizes the per diem fees and benefits of official reporters pro tempore to be paid from that fund.
This bill would authorize each trial court to establish a Reporters’ Salary Fund for the payment of the salaries and benefits of official reporters, as specified.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 73000)
2is added to Title 8 of the Government Code, to read:
3
Each trial court may establish a Reporters’ Salary Fund.
The salaries and benefits of official reporters shall be
8paid from the Reporters’ Salary Fund.
(a) Fees for reporting services payable by law by the
10parties to proceedings in the court to official reporters shall be paid
11to the clerk of the court, who shall deposit them in the Reporters’
12Salary Fund.
13(b) Fees for transcription of testimony and proceedings in the
14court shall be paid by the parties to official reporters as otherwise
15provided by law, and in all cases where by law the court may direct
16the payment of transcription fees out of the Trial Court Operations
17Fund, the fee on order of the court shall be paid from the Reporters’
18Salary Fund, except fees for transcription of testimony and
19proceedings in felony cases, which shall be paid from the Trial
20Court Operations Fund.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, there shall be set
22aside from the revenue of the court a revolving fund in the amount
23of _______ dollars ($______). The fund shall be known as the
24Reporters’ Salary Fund.
25(b) At the time of each monthly distribution of the revenue of
26 the court to the appropriate state or county funds as required by
27law, the clerk of the court shall deduct proportionately, the sum
28as will, when added to the sum then remaining in the fund, equal
29_____ dollars ($_____) and deposit it in the fund.
If at any time the Reporters’ Salary Fund is insufficient,
31on order of the court the amount of the deficiency shall be paid
32from the Trial Court Operations Fund for that court.
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