Court Reporters Board of California.

(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of shorthand reporters by the Court Reporters Board of California, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and is comprised of appointed members who hold office until the appointment and qualification of their successors or until one year has elapsed since the expiration of their term, whichever occurs first. Existing law authorizes the board to appoint an executive officer and committees and to employ other employees, as specified. Existing law also defines various terms for those purposes. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2020. This bill would extend the operation of the board, the authorization of the board to appoint those specified personnel and committees, and the operation of those definitions until January 1, 2024. The bill would authorize the appointing authority of a member of the board to remove the member from office. (2) Existing law defines the practice of shorthand reporting, which includes the making, by means of written symbols or abbreviations in shorthand or machine shorthand writing, of a verbatim record of specified legal proceedings. Existing law requires the board to issue a certificate to a person who meets the qualifications for a certified shorthand reporter, as specified. This bill would prohibit the board from issuing a certificate for the practice of shorthand reporting by means of voice writing or voice recognition technology. The bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to address the issue of appropriate regulation of shorthand reporting by means of voice writing or voice recognition technology. (3) Existing law requires all fees and other revenues received by the board to be deposited in the Court Reporters' Fund, which is continuously appropriated to carry out the provisions regulating shorthand reporters. This bill would instead make funds in the Court Reporters' Fund available upon appropriation by the Legislature. (4) Existing law, until January 1, 2020, requires certain fees and revenues collected by the board from licensees to be deposited into the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, which is established as a continuously appropriated fund, to be available to provide reimbursement for the cost of providing shorthand reporting services to low-income litigants in civil cases who are unable to otherwise afford those services. Existing law, until January 1, 2020, prescribes how the funds are to be disbursed by the board and how an applicant is to apply for reimbursement from the board. This bill would extend the operation of the fund and the provisions relating to reimbursement from the fund by the board until January 1, 2024. By extending the operation of the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2022, to report certain information to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature to determine the feasibility of funding the Transcript Reimbursement Fund through a distinct assessment, as specified. (5) Existing law requires all unencumbered funds remaining in the Transcript Reimbursement Fund as of January 1, 2019, to be transferred to the Court Reporters' Fund. This bill would require all encumbered funds remaining in the Transcript Reimbursement Fund as of January 1, 2024, to be transferred to the Court Reporters' Fund.