BILL NUMBER: AB 1630	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Olsen

                        FEBRUARY 9, 2012

   An act to repeal Section 70047.1 of the Government Code, relating
to courts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1630, as introduced, Olsen. Stanislaus County Superior Court:
official court reporters.
   Under existing law, the state has sole responsibility for the
funding of court operations. Existing law authorizes a superior court
to appoint as many official court reporters as are deemed necessary.
Those court reporters who are court employees are subject to the
Trial Court Employment Protection and Governance Act, which
authorizes each trial court to establish a salary range for each of
its employee classifications.
   This bill would repeal a provision of law prescribing the
compensation of official court reporters in Stanislaus County that
has been rendered obsolete by that act.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 70047.1 of the Government Code is repealed.

   70047.1.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
following provisions shall be applicable to the Stanislaus County
Superior Court:
   (a) In Stanislaus County, to assist the superior court in the
transaction of its judicial business, a majority of the judges of the
superior court, with the approval of the board of supervisors, may
appoint as many regular official reporters as necessary to report the
proceedings in the court.
   (b) The regular official superior court reporters, unless the
right to their services are waived, shall report all of the
proceedings as otherwise provided by law or ordered by a superior
court judge.
   (c) The regular official court reporters shall be compensated at a
range approved by the board of supervisors by ordinance or
resolution.
   In order that the salaries provided for in this section remain
equitable and competitive, in the event an ordinance or resolution is
adopted which provides a cost-of-living increase for employees of
Stanislaus County, this salary range shall be deemed adjusted,
increased, and amended by that ordinance or resolution.
   (d) A regular official court reporter shall receive the same
vacation, sick leave, retirement, and other benefits as are provided
for county employees.
   (e) For the purposes of retirement, the compensation of each
reporter shall be deemed to be the total of all per diem and
transcription fees paid by the county to all of the regular reporters
of the superior court for all reporting services, divided by the
number of superior court official reporters, plus his or her salary.
   (f) The superior court executive officer shall appoint a
supervising reporter to be compensated at an hourly rate that is 10
percent higher than Step 5 of the hourly rate specified in
subdivision (c).
   (g) For all transcriptions incident to reporting services, each
reporter shall receive the fees provided for in Article 9 (commencing
with Section 69941) of this chapter. A court reporter shall also be
allowed his or her traveling expenses as determined by the travel
policy of Stanislaus County when reporting outside of the county
seat.
   (h) The judges of the superior court may appoint as many official
superior court reporters pro tempore as the business of the court
requires. They shall be unsalaried, but shall receive a per diem of
1/260 of Step 4 of the hourly rate set pursuant to subdivision (c).
   (i) The county shall provide the official reporters with supplies
for the performance of their courtroom duties, excluding hardware.
   (j) The presiding judge of the superior court may, upon request of
the presiding judge of the municipal court, assign an official
superior court reporter to the municipal court during such times as
the business of the municipal court requires. Official superior court
reporters who are so assigned shall receive no additional
compensation for that service.