This section contains the most recent legislative and regulatory changes governing the court reporting profession. It also contains proposed bills, rule revisions and proposed amendments to the California Rules of Court which directly impact or are of interest to court reporters.
2007 Legislation
Track the progress of AB 582, the bill that will increase transcript rates for the first time in 17 years, as it weaves its way through the legislative process. COCRA, along with CCRA, is working very hard to make sure this SEIU-sponsored legislation becomes law.
COCRA is seeking donations and volunteers to help support our ongoing legislative efforts. If you are intersted in helping by making a donation or by volunteering to monitor legislation then please complete our Legislative Donation / Volunteer Form.
Proposed Bills
The Certified Shorthand Reporter [CSR]-Preserving Access to Justice Report 
Click here
COCRA has compiled current, fact-based data about your profession that you can share with colleagues, family, and friends. Click here
Educate yourself about today's technology and know how to respond when confronted with questions/statements from interested parties.
COCRA is proactively meeting with administrators, judges, and local legislators to market the value of using certified shorthand reporters throughout the legal system and for the hard of hearing. Get the word out...CSRs are the preferred, most cost-effective means of obtaining an accurate and verbatim record!
THE COCRA TEAM
Assembly Backing of Court Reporters Appears in Daily Republic
In a letter to the editor of the Daily Republic one court reporter brings public attention to Court Reporter's need for an increase and Noreen Evans support of this effort. You can read the letter by using the link provided below.
http://local.dailyrepublic.net/display_letter.php?dir=archive/2007/05/19/&sn=1
Proposed Regulations
Court Reporters Board Of California
notice of proposed changes in the regulations:
http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/laws/adoption2475.pdf
Proposed Rules of Court
There are no proposed rule changes. However, you can use the following link to access the Judicial Council's invitation to comment for more information.
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/invitationstocomment/aproposals.htm
New Regulations
Court Reporters Board Regulations
Click here to access regulations pertaining to court reporting.
California Rules of Court
Click here to access the current Rules of Court on the Judicial Council website.
Renumbered CRC Table
Effective January 1, 2007 the California Rules of Court have been renumbered. Click the link below to access the rules conversion table.
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/rules/reorg.htm
2009 Legislative Calendar
Click here to access the 2009 Joint Legislative Calendar |
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New Laws (Passed in 2006)
AB 1293, Oropeza Transcript Reimbursement Fund
Existing law establishes the Court Reporters Board of California and makes it responsible for issuing a certificate to practice shorthand reporting to qualified applicants. Under existing law, until July 1, 2011, excess funds, as specified, generated by the initial certificate fee collected by the board are used to provide shorthand reporting services for indigent persons, as defined, and are transferred from the Court Reporters' Fund into the Transcript Reimbursement Fund for expenditure for that purpose.
Existing law requires that the Transcript Reimbursement Fund be maintained in an amount no less than $300,000 for each fiscal year. This bill would revise the definition of indigent person for these purposes. The bill would require the establishment of the fund in the amount of $300,000 at the beginning of each fiscal year and would prohibit the board from transferring funds exceeding that amount if the transfer would reduce the balance of the Court Reporters' Fund to an amount less than 6 months' operating budget. This bill makes the provisions establishing the Transcript Reimbursement Fund inoperative on July 1, 2009, and repeals them on January 1, 2010, unless a later enacted statute changes those dates.
Existing law provides that applications for reimbursement from the Transcript Reimbursement Fund that cannot be paid from the fund due to insufficiency of the fund shall be held over until the next fiscal year to be paid out of the renewed fund. This bill gives priority standing to those applications in the next fiscal year. |
