California Assembly Bill AB2076 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2076AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 25, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 25, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ma FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act to amend Sections 68085.1, 68086, 68086.1, and 69953.5 of the Government Code, relating to courts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2076, as amended, Ma. Official court reporter fee. 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 1/2 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. Fees collected pursuant to this provision may be used only to pay for services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings. Existing law further requires that, whenever a daily transcript is ordered in a civil case requiring the services of more than one reporter, the party requesting the transcript pay a fee equal to the per diem rate for pro tempore reporters in addition to any other required fee. This bill would additionally require an official court reporter fee to be charged for each proceeding lasting less than an hour, and would authorize the court in which an official court reporter fee was collected to retain that fee. The bill would also authorize the court collecting a per diem fee for a daily transcript to retain that fee to offset the cost of the additional court reporter. Existing law establishes filing fees in specified civil proceedings. Existing law further establishes the Trial Court Trust Fund and requires that $30 of the amount distributed to the Trial Court Trust Fund from specified filing fees be used for the services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings. This bill, instead, would require that $30 of specified filing fees be retained by the court in which the fee was collected and be used  for   to provide the services of an  official court reporter  services  in civil proceedings.  The bill would also require, in courts where official court reporting services in civil proceedings are not provided, that all fees to be retained pursuant to these provisions instead revert to the Trial Court Trust Fund for redistribution to trial courts providing official court reporting services in civil proceedings, as specified, and that these redistributed funds be used to provide the services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 68085.1 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 4 of Chapter 457 of the Statutes of 2009, is amended to read: 68085.1. (a) This section applies to all fees and fines that are collected on or after January 1, 2006, under all of the following: (1) Sections 177.5, 209, 403.060, 491.150, 631.3, 683.150, 704.750, 708.160, 724.100, 1134, 1161.2, 1218, and 1993.2 of, subdivision (g) of Section 411.20 and subdivisions (c) and (g) of Section 411.21 of, and Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 116.110) of Title 1 of Part 1 of, the Code of Civil Procedure. (2) Section 3112 of the Family Code. (3) Section 31622 of the Food and Agricultural Code. (4) Subdivision (d) of Section 6103.5, subdivision (d) of Section 68511.3, Section 68926.1, and Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600). (5) Section 103470 of the Health and Safety Code. (6) Subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 166 and Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code. (7) Sections 1835, 1851.5, 2343, 7660, and 13201 of the Probate Code. (8) Sections 14607.6 and 16373 of the Vehicle Code. (9) Section 71386 of this code, Sections 304, 7851.5, and 9002 of the Family Code, and Section 1513.1 of the Probate Code, if the reimbursement is for expenses incurred by the court. (10) Section 3153 of the Family Code, if the amount is paid to the court for the cost of counsel appointed by the court to represent a child. (b) On and after January 1, 2006, each superior court shall deposit all fees and fines listed in subdivision (a), as soon as practicable after collection and on a regular basis, into a bank account established for this purpose by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Upon direction of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the county shall deposit civil assessments under Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code and any other  money   moneys  it collects under the sections listed in subdivision (a) as soon as practicable after collection and on a regular basis into the bank account established for this purpose and specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The deposits shall be made as required by rules adopted by, and financial policies and procedures authorized by, the Judicial Council under subdivision (a) of Section 77206. Within 15 days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines are collected, each court, and each county that collects any fines or fees under subdivision (a), shall provide the Administrative Office of the Courts with a report of the fees by categories as specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The Administrative Office of the Courts and any court may agree upon a time period greater than 15 days, but in no case more than 30 days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines are collected. The fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) shall be distributed as provided in this section. (c) (1) Within 45 calendar days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) are collected, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall make the following distributions: (A) To the small claims advisory services, as described in subdivision (f) of Section 116.230 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (B) To dispute resolution programs, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 68085.3 and subdivision (b) of Section 68085.4. (C) To the county law library funds, as described in Sections 116.230 and 116.760 of the Code of Civil Procedure, subdivision (b) of Section 68085.3, subdivision (b) of Section 68085.4, and Section 70621 of this code, and Section 14607.6 of the Vehicle Code. (D) To the courthouse construction funds in the Counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco, as described in Sections 70622, 70624, and 70625. (E) Commencing July 1, 2011, to the Trial Court Trust Fund, as described in subdivision (d) of Section 70626, to be used by the Judicial Council to implement and administer the civil representation pilot program under Section 68651. (2) If any distribution under this subdivision is delinquent, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall add a penalty to the distribution as specified in subdivision (i). (d) Within 45 calendar days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) are collected, the amounts remaining after the distributions in subdivision (c) shall be transmitted to the State Treasury for deposit in the Trial Court Trust Fund and other funds as required by law. This remittance shall be accompanied by a remittance advice identifying the collection month and the appropriate account in the Trial Court Trust Fund or other fund to which it is to be deposited. Upon the receipt of any delinquent payment required under this subdivision, the Controller shall calculate a penalty as provided under subdivision (i). (e) From the  money   moneys  transmitted to the State Treasury under subdivision (d), the Controller shall make deposits as follows: (1) Into the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, the Judges' Retirement Fund, and the Equal Access Fund, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 68085.3 and subdivision (c) of Section 68085.4. (2) Into the Health Statistics Special Fund, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 70670 of this code and Section 103730 of the Health and Safety Code. (3) Into the Family Law Trust Fund, as described in Section 70674. (4) Into the Immediate and Critical Needs Account of the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, established in Section 70371.5, as described in Sections 68085.3, 68085.4, and 70657.5, and subdivision (e) of Section 70617. (5) The remainder of the  money   moneys  shall be deposited into the Trial Court Trust Fund. (f) The amounts collected by each superior court under Section 116.232, subdivision (g) of Section 411.20, and subdivision (g) of Section 411.21 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Sections 304, 3112, 3153, 7851.5, and 9002 of the Family Code, subdivision (d) of Section 6103.5, subdivision (d) of Section 68511.3, and Sections 68926.1, 70627, 70631, 70640, 70661, 70678, and 71386 of this code, and Sections 1513.1, 1835, 1851.5, and 2343 of the Probate Code shall be added to the monthly apportionment for that court under subdivision (a) of Section 68085. (g) If any of the fees provided in subdivision (a) are partially waived by court order or otherwise reduced, and the fee is to be divided between the Trial Court Trust Fund and any other fund or account, the amount of the reduction shall be deducted from the amount to be distributed to each fund in the same proportion as the amount of each distribution bears to the total amount of the fee. If the fee is paid by installment payments, the amount distributed to each fund or account from each installment shall bear the same proportion to the installment payment as the full distribution to that fund or account does to the full fee. If a court collects a fee that was incurred before January 1, 2006, under a provision that was the predecessor to one of the paragraphs contained in subdivision (a), the fee may be deposited as if it were collected under the paragraph of subdivision (a) that corresponds to the predecessor of that paragraph and distributed in prorated amounts to each fund or account to which the fee in subdivision (a) must be distributed. (h) Except as provided in Sections 470.5 and 6322.1 of the Business and Professions Code, and Sections 70622, 70624, and 70625 of this code, no agency may take action to change the amounts allocated to any of the funds described in subdivision (c), (d), or (e). (i) The amount of the penalty on any delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) shall be calculated by multiplying the amount of the delinquent payment at a daily rate equivalent to 11/2 percent per month for the number of days the payment is delinquent. The penalty shall be paid from the Trial Court Trust Fund. Penalties on delinquent payments under subdivision (d) shall be calculated only on the amounts to be distributed to the Trial Court Trust Fund and the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, and each penalty shall be distributed proportionately to the funds to which the delinquent payment was to be distributed. (j) If a delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) results from a delinquency by a superior court under subdivision (b), the court shall reimburse the Trial Court Trust Fund for the amount of the penalty. Notwithstanding Section 77009, any penalty on a delinquent payment that a court is required to reimburse pursuant to this section shall be paid from the court operations fund for that court. The penalty shall be paid by the court to the Trial Court Trust Fund no later than 45 days after the end of the month in which the penalty was calculated. If the penalty is not paid within the specified time, the Administrative Office of the Courts may reduce the amount of a subsequent monthly allocation to the court by the amount of the penalty on the delinquent payment. (k) If a delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) results from a delinquency by a county in transmitting fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) to the bank account established for this purpose, as described in subdivision (b), the county shall reimburse the Trial Court Trust Fund for the amount of the penalty. The penalty shall be paid by the county to the Trial Court Trust Fund no later than 45 days after the end of the month in which the penalty was calculated. (l) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2017, and, as of January 1, 2018, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed. SEC. 2. Section 68085.1 of the Government Code, as added by Section 5 of Chapter 457 of the Statutes of 2009, is amended to read: 68085.1. (a) This section applies to all fees and fines that are collected on or after January 1, 2006, under all of the following: (1) Sections 177.5, 209, 403.060, 491.150, 631.3, 683.150, 704.750, 708.160, 724.100, 1134, 1161.2, 1218, and 1993.2 of, subdivision (g) of Section 411.20 and subdivisions (c) and (g) of Section 411.21 of, and Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 116.110) of Title 1 of Part 1 of, the Code of Civil Procedure. (2) Section 3112 of the Family Code. (3) Section 31622 of the Food and Agricultural Code. (4) Subdivision (d) of Section 6103.5, subdivision (d) of Section 68511.3, Section 68926.1, and Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600). (5) Section 103470 of the Health and Safety Code. (6) Subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 166 and Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code. (7) Sections 1835, 1851.5, 2343, 7660, and 13201 of the Probate Code. (8) Sections 14607.6 and 16373 of the Vehicle Code. (9) Section 71386 of this code, Sections 304, 7851.5, and 9002 of the Family Code, and Section 1513.1 of the Probate Code, if the reimbursement is for expenses incurred by the court. (10) Section 3153 of the Family Code, if the amount is paid to the court for the cost of counsel appointed by the court to represent a child. (b) On and after January 1, 2006, each superior court shall deposit all fees and fines listed in subdivision (a), as soon as practicable after collection and on a regular basis, into a bank account established for this purpose by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Upon direction of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the county shall deposit civil assessments under Section 1214.1 of the Penal Code and any other  money   moneys  it collects under the sections listed in subdivision (a) as soon as practicable after collection and on a regular basis into the bank account established for this purpose and specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The deposits shall be made as required by rules adopted by, and financial policies and procedures authorized by, the Judicial Council under subdivision (a) of Section 77206. Within 15 days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines are collected, each court, and each county that collects any fines or fees under subdivision (a), shall provide the Administrative Office of the Courts with a report of the fees by categories as specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The Administrative Office of the Courts and any court may agree upon a time period greater than 15 days, but in no case more than 30 days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines are collected. The fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) shall be distributed as provided in this section. (c) (1) Within 45 calendar days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) are collected, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall make the following distributions: (A) To the small claims advisory services, as described in subdivision (f) of Section 116.230 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (B) To dispute resolution programs, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 68085.3 and subdivision (b) of Section 68085.4. (C) To the county law library funds, as described in Sections 116.230 and 116.760 of the Code of Civil Procedure, subdivision (b) of Section 68085.3, subdivision (b) of Section 68085.4, and Section 70621 of this code, and Section 14607.6 of the Vehicle Code. (D) To the courthouse construction funds in the Counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco, as described in Sections 70622, 70624, and 70625. (2) If any distribution under this subdivision is delinquent, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall add a penalty to the distribution as specified in subdivision (i). (d) Within 45 calendar days after the end of the month in which the fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) are collected, the amounts remaining after the distributions in subdivision (c) shall be transmitted to the State Treasury for deposit in the Trial Court Trust Fund and other funds as required by law. This remittance shall be accompanied by a remittance advice identifying the collection month and the appropriate account in the Trial Court Trust Fund or other fund to which it is to be deposited. Upon the receipt of any delinquent payment required under this subdivision, the Controller shall calculate a penalty as provided under subdivision (i). (e) From the  money   moneys  transmitted to the State Treasury under subdivision (d), the Controller shall make deposits as follows: (1) Into the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, the Judges' Retirement Fund, and the Equal Access Fund, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 68085.3 and subdivision (c) of Section 68085.4. (2) Into the Health Statistics Special Fund, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 70670 of this code and Section 103730 of the Health and Safety Code. (3) Into the Family Law Trust Fund, as described in Section 70674. (4) Into the Immediate and Critical Needs Account of the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, established in Section 70371.5, as described in Sections 68085.3, 68085.4, and 70657.5, and subdivision (e) of Section 70617. (5) The remainder of the  money   moneys  shall be deposited into the Trial Court Trust Fund. (f) The amounts collected by each superior court under Section 116.232, subdivision (g) of Section 411.20, and subdivision (g) of Section 411.21 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Sections 304, 3112, 3153, 7851.5, and 9002 of the Family Code, subdivision (d) of Section 6103.5, subdivision (d) of Section 68511.3, and Sections 68926.1, 70627, 70631, 70640, 70661, 70678, and 71386 of this code, and Sections 1513.1, 1835, 1851.5, and 2343 of the Probate Code shall be added to the monthly apportionment for that court under subdivision (a) of Section 68085. (g) If any of the fees provided in subdivision (a) are partially waived by court order or otherwise reduced, and the fee is to be divided between the Trial Court Trust Fund and any other fund or account, the amount of the reduction shall be deducted from the amount to be distributed to each fund in the same proportion as the amount of each distribution bears to the total amount of the fee. If the fee is paid by installment payments, the amount distributed to each fund or account from each installment shall bear the same proportion to the installment payment as the full distribution to that fund or account does to the full fee. If a court collects a fee that was incurred before January 1, 2006, under a provision that was the predecessor to one of the paragraphs contained in subdivision (a), the fee may be deposited as if it were collected under the paragraph of subdivision (a) that corresponds to the predecessor of that paragraph and distributed in prorated amounts to each fund or account to which the fee in subdivision (a) must be distributed. (h) Except as provided in Sections 470.5 and 6322.1 of the Business and Professions Code, and Sections 70622, 70624, and 70625 of this code, no agency may take action to change the amounts allocated to any of the funds described in subdivision (c), (d), or (e). (i) The amount of the penalty on any delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) shall be calculated by multiplying the amount of the delinquent payment at a daily rate equivalent to 11/2 percent per month for the number of days the payment is delinquent. The penalty shall be paid from the Trial Court Trust Fund. Penalties on delinquent payments under subdivision (d) shall be calculated only on the amounts to be distributed to the Trial Court Trust Fund and the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, and each penalty shall be distributed proportionately to the funds to which the delinquent payment was to be distributed. (j) If a delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) results from a delinquency by a superior court under subdivision (b), the court shall reimburse the Trial Court Trust Fund for the amount of the penalty. Notwithstanding Section 77009, any penalty on a delinquent payment that a court is required to reimburse pursuant to this section shall be paid from the court operations fund for that court. The penalty shall be paid by the court to the Trial Court Trust Fund no later than 45 days after the end of the month in which the penalty was calculated. If the penalty is not paid within the specified time, the Administrative Office of the Courts may reduce the amount of a subsequent monthly allocation to the court by the amount of the penalty on the delinquent payment. (k) If a delinquent payment under subdivision (c) or (d) results from a delinquency by a county in transmitting fees and fines listed in subdivision (a) to the bank account established for this purpose, as described in subdivision (b), the county shall reimburse the Trial Court Trust Fund for the amount of the penalty. The penalty shall be paid by the county to the Trial Court Trust Fund no later than 45 days after the end of the month in which the penalty was calculated. (l) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2017. SEC. 3. Section 68086 of the Government Code is amended to read: 68086. (a) The following provisions apply in superior court: (1) In addition to any other fee required in civil actions or cases: (A) For each proceeding lasting less than an hour, a fee of thirty dollars ($30) shall be charged for the reasonable cost of the services of an official court reporter pursuant to Section 269 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (B) For each proceeding lasting more than one hour, a fee equal to the actual cost of providing that service shall be charged per one-half 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 pursuant to Section 269 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (2) All parties shall deposit their pro rata shares of these fees with the clerk of the court as specified by the court, but not later than the conclusion of each day's court session. (3) For purposes of this section, "one-half day" means any period of judicial time, in excess of one hour, but not more than four hours, during either the morning or afternoon court session. (4) The costs for the services of the official court reporter shall be recoverable as taxable costs by the prevailing party as otherwise provided by law. (5) The Judicial Council shall adopt rules to ensure all of the following: (A) That parties are given adequate and timely notice of the availability of an official court reporter. (B) That if an official court reporter is not available, a party may arrange for the presence of a certified shorthand reporter to serve as an official pro tempore reporter, the costs therefor recoverable as provided in paragraph (4). (C) That if the services of an official pro tempore reporter are utilized pursuant to subparagraph (B), no other charge shall be made to the parties. (b) The fees collected pursuant to this section shall be used only to pay the cost for services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings and shall be retained by the court in which the fee was collected. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature to continue an incentive to courts to use the services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings. (d) The Judicial Council shall report on or before February 1 of each year to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the fees collected by courts pursuant to this section and Section 68086.1 and on the total amount spent for services of official court reporters in civil proceedings statewide in the prior fiscal year. SEC. 4. Section 68086.1 of the Government Code is amended to read: 68086.1. (a) For each three-hundred-fifty-five-dollar ($355) fee collected under Section 70611, 70612, 70650, or 70670, thirty dollars ($30) shall be retained by the court in which the fee was collected and shall be used  for   to provide the  services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings. (b) For each three-hundred-thirty-dollar ($330) fee collected under subdivision (a) of Section 70613 or subdivision (a) of Section 70614, thirty dollars ($30) shall be retained by the court in which the fee was collected and shall be used  for   to provide the  services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings.  (c) It is the intent of the Legislature, in approving the thirty-dollar ($30) distribution out of each filing fee listed in subdivisions (a) and (b), to continue an incentive to courts to use the services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings.   (c) In trial courts where official court reporting services in civil proceedings are not provided, all fees to be retained pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) shall instead revert to the Trial Court Trust Fund for redistribution to trial courts providing official court reporting services in civil proceedings, on a pro rata basis, and shall be used to provide the services of an official court reporter in civil proceedings.  SEC. 5. Section 69953.5 of the Government Code is amended to read: 69953.5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever a daily transcript is ordered in a civil case requiring the services of more than one phonographic reporter, the party requesting the daily transcript, in addition to any other required fee, shall pay a fee per day, or portion thereof, equal to the per diem rate for pro tempore reporters established by statute, local rule, or ordinance for the services of each additional reporter for the first day and each subsequent day the additional reporters are required. This fee shall be retained by the court in which it was collected to offset the cost of the additional reporter.