AB 2629, as amended, Roger Hernández. Court reporters.
Existing law providesbegin delete thatend deletebegin insert that, except as specified,end insert 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 providesbegin delete thatend deletebegin insert that, except as specified,end insert 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, 2021, the fee for an original transcript isbegin delete $1.24end deletebegin insert $1.13end insert 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, 2021, 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. 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:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) Official court reporters and court reporters pro tempore
4employed by the courts are currently paid under a dual
5compensation structure in which the base salary of the court
6reporter is supplemented by income from preparing required
7transcripts and providing other required transcription services.
8(b) The dual compensation structure protects the state from
9bearing the full cost of transcript preparation and other transcription
10services and avoids the resulting consequences of overtime liability
11related to these services.
12(c) The fees for original transcripts prepared by official court
13reporters and court reporters pro tempore have not been adjusted
14in 26 years, and fees for copies purchased at the same time as the
15original transcript have only increased once in 103 years.
16(d) In order to ensure full and fair compensation of official court
17reporters and court reporters pro tempore employed by the court,
18and in order to attract and retain official court reporters and court
19reporters pro tempore employed by the courts that have sufficient
20skills and competence to serve the needs of the justice system, it
21is imperative that the system of dual compensation provide
22sufficient payment for transcription services.
23(e) Therefore, it is necessary to
revise the fees for transcripts
24prepared by official court reporters and court reporters pro tempore.
Section 69950 of the Government Code is amended
26to read:
(a) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018,
28inclusive, the fee for transcription for the original printed copy is
29begin delete ninety-eight cents ($0.98)end deletebegin insert ninety-three cents ($0.93)end insert for each 100
30words, and for each copy purchased at the same time by the court,
P3 1party, or other person purchasing the original, seventeen cents
2($0.17) for each 100 words.
3(b) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018,
inclusive, the
4fee for a first copy to any court, party, or other person who does
5not simultaneously purchase the original shall be twenty-three
6cents ($0.23) for each 100 words, and for each additional copy,
7purchased at the same time, seventeen cents ($0.17) for each 100
8words.
9
(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if a trial court had
10established transcription fees that were in effect on January 1,
112012, based on an estimate or assumption as to the number of
12words or folios on a typical transcript page, those transcription
13fees shall be the transcription fees for proceedings in those trial
14courts, and the policy or practice for determining transcription
15fees in those trial courts shall not be unilaterally changed.
16(c)
end delete
17begin insert(d)end insert This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019,
18and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
19is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
Section 69950 is added to the Government Code, to
21read:
(a) From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020,
23inclusive, the fee for transcription for the original printed copy is
24begin delete one dollar and thirteen cents ($1.13)end deletebegin insert one dollar and three cents
25($1.03)end insert for each 100 words, and for each copy purchased at the
26same time by the court, party, or other person purchasing the
27original, twenty cents ($0.20) for each 100 words.
28(b) From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020, inclusive,
29the fee for a first copy to any court, party, or other person who
30does not
simultaneously purchase the original shall be twenty-six
31cents ($0.26) for each 100 words, and for each additional copy,
32purchased at the same time, twenty cents ($0.20) for each 100
33words.
34
(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if a trial court had
35established transcription fees that were in effect on January 1,
362012, based on an estimate or assumption as to the number of
37words or folios on a typical transcript page, those transcription
38fees shall be the transcription fees for proceedings in those trial
39courts, and the policy or practice for determining transcription
40fees in those trial courts shall not be unilaterally changed.
P4 1(c)
end delete2begin insert(d)end insert This section shall become operative on January 1, 2019.
3(d)
end delete
4begin insert(e)end insert This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2021,
5and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
6is enacted before January 1, 2021, deletes or extends that date.
Section 69950 is added to the Government Code, to
8read:
(a) On and after January 1, 2021, the fee for
10transcription for the original printed copy isbegin delete one dollar twenty-four begin insert one dollar thirteen cents ($1.13)end insert for each 100 words,
11cents ($1.24)end delete
12and for each copy purchased at the same time by the court, party,
13or other person purchasing the original, twenty-two cents ($0.22)
14for each 100 words.
15(b) On and after January 1, 2021, the fee for a first copy to any
16court, party, or other person who does not simultaneously purchase
17the original shall be
twenty-nine cents ($0.29) for each 100 words,
18and for each additional copy, purchased at the same time,
19twenty-two cents ($0.22) for each 100 words.
20
(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if a trial court had
21established transcription fees that were in effect on January 1,
222012, based on an estimate or assumption as to the number of
23words or folios on a typical transcript page, those transcription
24fees shall be the transcription fees for proceedings in those trial
25courts, and the policy or practice for determining transcription
26fees in those trial courts shall not be unilaterally changed.
27(c)
end delete28begin insert(d)end insert This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.
Section 69951 of the Government Code is amended
30to read:
The fee for transcription is an additional 50 percent for
32special daily copy service.
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96