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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1220 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 991
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Anne M. Gobi
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Anne M. GobiWorcester and HampshireSteven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable2/1/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2023John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex2/7/2023Brendan P. CrightonThird Essex3/6/2023 1 of 5
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1220 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 991
By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 991) of Anne M. Gobi, Steven George
Xiarhos, Jacob R. Oliveira, John J. Cronin and others for legislation to furnish transcripts of
notes and fees. The Judiciary.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the word “stenographer" and
3inserting in place thereof the word: “transcriber.”
4 SECTION 2. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
5Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, “his” and inserting in place thereof
6the words: “their notes or audio recording.”
7 SECTION 3. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
8Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, “he” and inserting in place thereof
9the word: “they.”
10 SECTION 4. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
11Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, “$3” and inserting in place thereof
12the following: “$5.” 2 of 5
13 SECTION 5. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
14Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, “$1” and inserting in place thereof
15the following: “$1.67.”
16 SECTION 6. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
17Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, "additional."
18 SECTION 7, Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
19Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, "at the same time."
20 SECTION 8. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
21Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 6, the word “stenographer" and
22inserting in place thereof the word: “transcriber.”
23 SECTION 9. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
24Official Edition is hereby amended by striking out, in line 7, “$5” and inserting in place thereof:
25“$8.35.”
26 SECTION 10. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
27Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 9, “open source” and inserting in
28place thereof the word: “open-source.”
29 SECTION 11. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
30Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 10, "Additional paper."
31 SECTION 12. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
32Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 11, “$.10” and inserting in place
33thereof: “$.20” 3 of 5
34 SECTION 13. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
35Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 12, “daily” and inserting in place
36thereof the following word: “rush.”
37 SECTION 14. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
38Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, “$4.50” and inserting in place
39thereof: “$7.50.”
40 SECTION 15. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
41Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, "copy"
42 SECTION 16. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
43Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, “$1.50” and inserting in place
44thereof: “$2.50.”
45 SECTION 17. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
46Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 14, the word "additional."
47 SECTION 18. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
48Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 15, the word "stenographer" and
49inserting in place thereof the word "transcriber.”
50 SECTION 19. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
51Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 16, “$5” and inserting in place
52thereof: “$8.35.”
53 SECTION 20. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
54Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 17 "additional paper copies " 4 of 5
55 SECTION 21. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
56Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding, in line 18, after "indigent person," and inserting
57"the rate shall be $7.50 for the original and $.20 per page for each copy."
58 SECTION 22. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
59Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 19, “$.10” and inserting in place
60thereof: “$.20.”
61 SECTION 23. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
62Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after paragraph one the following paragraph:
63 Section 88a. Beginning on the first day of July 2028, and on the first day of each fifth
64July thereafter, the rates and fees set forth in section 88 shall be increased to reflect changes in
65the Consumer Price Index as follows: The rates and fees set forth in section 88 shall be
66multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which shall be the Consumer Price Index for March
671993 and the numerator of which shall be the Consumer Price Index for the March immediately
68preceding the applicable July 1. For the purposes of this section, the Consumer Price Index shall
69mean that table in the Consumer Price Index published by the United States Department of
70Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, now known as: Consumer Price Index for All Urban
71Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Boston-Cambridge-
72Newton, Ma.-N.H. (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted). If this
73Consumer Price Index shall be discontinued, then the presiding justice of the administrative
74office of the trial court shall designate any successor Consumer Price Index of the United States
75Bureau of Labor Statistics, or any successor agency thereto for Boston-Cambridge-Newton,
76Massachusetts-New Hampshire. The (1) office of transcription services or (2) the presiding 5 of 5
77justice of the administrative office of the trial court shall issue directives to implement the
78purposes of this section.