Fees: official court reporters.

Existing law requires an official court reporter fee of $30 to be charged for each proceeding lasting less than one hour. Existing law requires the charge of an official court reporter fee, in addition to any other fee required in civil actions or cases, for each proceeding lasting more than one hour, in an amount equal to the actual cost of providing that service per 12 day of services to the parties, on a pro rata basis, for the services of an official court reporter on the first and each succeeding judicial day those services are provided, as specified. Existing law further requires the Judicial Council to adopt specified rules to, among other things, ensure the availability of an official court reporter, or in the absence of an official court reporter, authorize a party to arrange for the presence of a certified shorthand reporter, as specified. This bill would further require the Judicial Council to adopt rules to ensure that a party arranging for a certified shorthand reporter notifies the other parties of that fact, and that attempts to share costs for the certified shorthand reporter are made to provide better access to justice for all parties involved in the proceeding.