AB 804, as amended, Roger Hernández. Shorthand reporters: continuing education requirements.
Existing law provides for the certification and regulation of shorthand reporters by the Court Reporters Board of California in the Department of Consumer Affairs, and provides for the regulation of shorthand reporting schools by the board. Existing law provides for the renewal of a shorthand reporter’s certificate if specified requirements are met. Existing law sets forth specified fees for the examination for, and the issuance and renewal of, a shorthand reporter’s certificate.
This bill would require the board, on or before July 1,begin delete 2016,end deletebegin insert 2017,end insert to adopt regulations to establish, for renewal of a shorthand reporter’s certificate, minimum approved
continuing education requirements, with certain exceptions, and would require the board to establish a procedure for approving providers of those continuing education courses, as specified.begin insert The bill would also require the board to collaborate with the Judicial Council to develop a list of courses that satisfy the continuing education requirements of both these provisions and a specified rule, applicable to trial court personnel, of the California Rules of Court.end insert The bill would also authorize the board to, by regulation, establish a fee for approval of those continuing education providers, not to exceed the reasonable regulatory costs, if any, to the board of approving those providers.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 8024.8 is added to the Business and
2Professions Code, to read:
(a) On or before July 1,begin delete 2016,end deletebegin insert 2017,end insert the board shall
4adopt regulations to establish minimum continuing education
5requirements for renewal of a certificate issued pursuant to this
6chapter. No earlier than six months after the effective date of the
7regulations, to renew his or her certificate, a certificate holder
8shall, in addition to the requirements of Section 8024, submit to
9the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that he or she has
10completed the minimum continuing education requirements.
11(b) The board shall ensure that the continuing education required
12by this section is relevant to the practice of shorthand reporting.
13(c) The board shall ensure that the continuing education
14required by this section includes a minimum of two hours of course
15credits in ethics and professional conduct of shorthand reporting.
16(d) The board shall ensure that the continuing education
17required by this section is not less than 8 hours and not more than
1812 hours of course credits every two years.
19(c)
end delete
20begin insert(e)end insert The board shall also establish a procedure for approving
21providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of
22continuing education shall comply with procedures established by
23the board. The board may establish a fee for providers of continuing
24education courses pursuant to Section 8031. The board may revoke
25or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education
26coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with the
27requirements of this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to
28this section.
29(d)
end delete
30begin insert(f)end insert The board may establish exceptions to the continuing
31education requirements of this section for a certificate holder who
P3 1cannot meet the continuing education requirements for reasons of
2health, military service, or undue hardship.
3(e)
end delete
4begin insert(g)end insert The continuing education requirements of this section shall
5comply with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education
6established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to
7Section 166.
8(h) The board
shall, in collaboration with the Judicial Council,
9develop a list of courses that satisfy the requirements of both this
10section and Rule 10.474 of Title 10 of the California Rules of Court.
11The courses on this list may be used to satisfy the requirements of
12both this section and Rule 10.474.
13(f)
end delete
14begin insert(i)end insert The board may adopt regulations as necessary to implement
15this section.
Section 8031 of the Business and Professions Code is
17amended to read:
The amount of the fees required by this chapter is that
19fixed by the board in accordance with the following schedule:
20(a) The fee for filing an application for each examination shall
21be no more than forty dollars ($40).
22(b) The fee for examination and reexamination for the written
23or practical part of the examination shall be in an amount fixed by
24the board, which shall be equal to the actual cost of preparing,
25administering, grading, and analyzing the examination, but shall
26not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75) for each separate part, for
27each administration.
28(c) The initial certificate fee is an amount equal to the renewal
29fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on
30which the certificate is issued, except that, if the certificate will
31expire less than 180 days after its issuance, then the fee is 50
32percent of the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date
33before the date on which the certificate is issued, or fifty dollars
34($50), whichever is greater. The board may, by appropriate
35regulation, provide for the waiver or refund of the initial certificate
36fee where the certificate is issued less than 45 days before the date
37on which it will expire.
38(d) By a resolution adopted by the board, a renewal fee may be
39established in such amounts and at such times as the board may
40deem appropriate to meet its operational expenses and funding
P4 1responsibilities as
set forth in this chapter. The renewal fee shall
2not be more than one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) nor less
3than ten dollars ($10) annually, with the following exception:
4Any person who is employed full time by the State of California
5as a hearing reporter and who does not otherwise render shorthand
6reporting services for a fee shall be exempt from licensure while
7in state employment and shall not be subject to the renewal fee
8provisions of this subdivision until 30 days after leaving state
9employment. The renewal fee shall, in addition to the amount fixed
10by this subdivision, include any unpaid fees required by this section
11plus any delinquency fee.
12(e) The duplicate certificate fee shall be no greater than ten
13dollars ($10).
14(f) The penalty for failure to notify the board of a change of
15name or address as required by Section 8024.6 shall be no greater
16than fifty dollars ($50).
17(g) The fee for approval of a continuing education provider shall
18be fixed by the board through regulation in an amount to cover the
19reasonable regulatory cost to the board of approving those
20continuing education providers, but shall be no greater than forty
21dollars ($40).
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