BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 671|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 671
Author: Price (D)
Amended: 5/18/11
Vote: 21
SENATE BUS., PROF. & ECON. DEVEL. COMMITTEE : 8-1, 4/25/11
AYES: Price, Emmerson, Corbett, Correa, Hernandez, Negrete
McLeod, Vargas, Wyland
NOES: Walters
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Shorthand reporters: continuing education
requirements
SOURCE : California Court Reporters Association
Deposition Reporters Association
DIGEST : This bill requires the Court Reporters Board of
California to establish continuing education requirements
for renewal of a shorthand report certificate.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law :
1. Certifies and regulates some 7,700 certified shorthand
reporters (CSRs) and regulates 16 shorthand reporting
schools by the Court Reporters Board of California
(Board) within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).
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2. Provides that a CSR certificate is valid for one year,
and may be renewed by applying for the certificate
renewal, paying the renewal fee, and notifying the Board
of any substantially related criminal convictions or of
any disciplinary action taken by any regulatory agency
against the licensee.
3. Establishes various fees which may be charged by the
Board, including fees for examinations, initial and
renewal CSR certificates.
4. General provisions of the Business and Professions Code
require the director of DCA by regulation to develop
guidelines for continuing education programs by DCA
boards and bureaus to ensure that mandatory continuing
education is used as a means to create a more competent
licensing population.
This bill:
1. Requires the Board, by July 1, 2012, to adopt
regulations to establish minimum continuing education
requirements for renewal of a CSR certificate.
2. Requires that, no earlier than six months after the
effective date of the regulations, a CSR renewing a
certificate must certify to the Board completion of the
minimum continuing education requirements.
3. Requires the Board to ensure that the required
continuing education is relevant to the practice of
shorthand reporting.
4. Requires the Board to establish a procedure for
approving continuing education course providers, and
requires continuing education providers to comply with
procedures established by the Board.
5. Authorizes the Board to establish a fee of $40 for
providers of continuing education courses.
6. Authorizes the Board to establish exceptions to the
continuing education requirements for individuals who
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cannot meet the continuing education requirements for
reasons of health, military service, or undue hardship.
7. Requires the continuing education requirements to fully
comply with the guidelines for mandatory continuing
education established by DCA.
8. Authorizes the Board to adopt regulations to implement
the continuing education provisions.
Background
Certified shorthand reporters, commonly known as court
reporters, typically engage in one of two types of
shorthand reporting practice. "Official" reporters are
individuals who work as employees of the court system, and
"freelance" reporters are individuals hired privately by
court reporting businesses and firms or attorneys to report
depositions. In order to obtain licensure, both types of
reporters must qualify by attending one of the 16
California schools of court reporting authorized by the
Board and passing two written exams and a performance exam.
There are currently approximately 7,700 certified
shorthand reporter licensees statewide. The CSR
certificate is issued for a one-year period, expiring on
the last day of the birth month of the licensee.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/17/11)
California Court Reporters Association (co-source)
Deposition Reporters Association (co-source)
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : In sponsoring the bill, California
Court Reporters Association (CCRA), states that currently
there are no structures in place that ensure that the CSR
is gaining or maintaining the education necessary to stay
updated on the rules, regulations and statutes affecting
the practice of shorthand reporting. The recently-adopted
Judicial Council rules mandating continuing education for
all staff, including court reporters, does not specifically
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mandate that the official court reporter obtain continuing
education specifically as it relates to the job of court
reporting according to CCRA.
CCRA further states that in the world of ever-changing
technology, the consumer of the products and services of
the CSR expect to be offered and provided the latest
technological advances that are available; i.e. real time
reporting, Internet text streaming, transcript
repositories, exhibit scanning and linking to transcripts,
and much more. The job of a CSR has really morphed into
more of an information manager, an important and integral
component to the litigation process, according to CCRA.
JJA:do 5/17/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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