Amended in Assembly April 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 18, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2629

Introduced by Assembly Member Roger Hernández

February 19, 2016

An act to amend Section 69951 of, and to amend, repeal, and add Section 69950 of, the Government Code, relating to court reporters.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2629, as amended, Roger Hernández. Court reporters.

Existing law provides that the fee for original transcripts prepared by an official court reporter or by a court reporter pro tempore is $0.85 for each 100 words, and for each copy purchased at the same time, $0.15 for each 100 words. Existing law provides that the fee for a first copy of a transcript by a person who does not simultaneously purchase the original transcript is $0.20 for each 100 words, and for each additional copy purchased at the same time, $0.15 for each 100 words. Existing law authorizes a court reporter, in civil cases, to charge an additional 50% for special daily copy service.

This bill would increase the fee charged for original transcripts and copies incrementally commencing January 1, 2017. The bill would provide that on and after January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert the fee for an original transcript is $1.24 for each 100 words, and for each copy purchased at the same time, $0.22 for each 100 words. The bill would provide that on and after January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert the fee for a first copy of a transcript that is not simultaneously purchased with the original transcript is $0.29 for each 100 words, and for each additional copy purchased at the same time, $0.22 for each 100 words. begin delete The bill would provide that on and after April 1, 2020, and on or before each April 1 thereafter, the fee charged for original transcripts and copies shall be increased proportionally by the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as specified, and would require the Administrative Office of the Courts to publish an updated transcript fee schedule. end delete The bill would also provide that the fee for transcription is an additional 50% for special daily copy service.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) Official court reporters and court reporters pro tempore
employed by the courts are currently paid under a dual
compensation structure in which the base salary of the court
reporter is supplemented by income from preparing required
transcripts and providing other required transcription services.

(b) The dual compensation structure protects the state from
bearing the full cost of transcript preparation and other transcription
services and avoids the resulting consequences of overtime liability
related to these services.

(c) The fees for original transcripts prepared by official court
reporters and court reporters pro tempore have not been adjusted
in 26 years, and fees for copies purchased at the same time as the
original transcript have only increased once in 103 years.

(d) In order to ensure full and fair compensation of official court
reporters and court reporters pro tempore employed by the court,
and in order to attract and retain official court reporters and court
reporters pro tempore employed by the courts that have sufficient
skills and competence to serve the needs of the justice system, it
is imperative that the system of dual compensation provide
sufficient payment for transcription services.

(e) Therefore, it is necessary to revise the fees for transcripts
prepared by official court reporters and court reporters pro tempore.

SEC. 2.  

Section 69950 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

69950.  

(a) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, begin delete 2017, end delete begin insert 2018, end insert
inclusive, the fee for transcription for the original printed copy is
ninety-eight cents ($0.98) for each 100 words, and for each copy
purchased at the same time by the court, party, or other person
purchasing the original, seventeen cents ($0.17) for each 100
words.

(b) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, begin delete 2017, end delete begin insert 2018, end insert
inclusive, the fee for a first copy to any court, party, or other person
who does not simultaneously purchase the original shall be
twenty-three cents ($0.23) for each 100 words, and for each
additional copy, purchased at the same time, seventeen cents
($0.17) for each 100 words.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, begin delete 2018, end delete
begin insert 2019, end insert and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that is enacted before January 1, begin delete 2018, end delete begin insert 2019, end insert deletes or extends
that date.

SEC. 3.  

Section 69950 is added to the Government Code, to
read:

69950.  

(a)  From January 1, begin delete 2018, end delete begin insert 2019, end insert to December 31,
begin delete 2018, end delete begin insert 2020, end insert inclusive, the fee for transcription for the original
printed copy is one dollar and thirteen cents ($1.13) for each 100
words, and for each copy purchased at the same time by the court,
party, or other person purchasing the original, twenty cents ($0.20)
for each 100 words.

(b)  From January 1, begin delete 2018, end delete begin insert 2019, end insert to December 31, begin delete 2018, end delete begin insert 2020, end insert
inclusive, the fee for a first copy to any court, party, or other person
who does not simultaneously purchase the original shall be
twenty-six cents ($0.26) for each 100 words, and for each
additional copy, purchased at the same time, twenty cents ($0.20)
for each 100 words.

(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, begin delete 2018. end delete

begin insert 2019. end insert

(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete
begin insert 2021, end insert and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that is enacted before January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert deletes or extends
that date.

SEC. 4.  

Section 69950 is added to the Government Code, to
read:

69950.  

(a)  On and after January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert the fee for
transcription for the original printed copy is one dollar twenty-four
cents ($1.24) for each 100 words, and for each copy purchased at
the same time by the court, party, or other person purchasing the
original, twenty-two cents ($0.22) for each 100 words.

(b)  On and after January 1, begin delete 2019, end delete begin insert 2021, end insert the fee for a first copy
to any court, party, or other person who does not simultaneously
purchase the original shall be twenty-nine cents ($0.29) for each
100 words, and for each additional copy, purchased at the same
time, twenty-two cents ($0.22) for each 100 words.

begin delete

(c) On or before April 1, 2020, and on or before each April 1
thereafter, the amounts described in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall
be increased proportionally by the increase in the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers, as published by the United States
Bureau of Statistics, for the previous calendar year, to be rounded
up to the nearest cent by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
The Administrative Office of the Courts shall also publish an
updated transcript fee schedule, and those increased fees shall take
effect on that April 1.

(d)

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert  This section shall become operative on January 1, begin delete 2019. end delete

begin insert 2021. end insert

SEC. 5.  

Section 69951 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

69951.  

The fee for transcription is an additional 50 percent for
special daily copy service.