An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 4118 By: Hasenbeck, Smith, Boles,
and Humphrey of the House
and
Taylor, Burns, and Boren of
the Senate
An Act relating to courts; amending 20 O.S. 2021,
Section 106.9, which relate s to court reporter
salaries; setting court reporter annual salary ;
amending 20 O.S. 2021, Section 125, which relates to
secretary-bailiff salaries; setting secretary-bailiff
annual salary; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: Courts
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOM A:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 202 1, Section 106.9, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 106.9 A. Each court reporter regularly engaged by the
district court, the Workers ' Compensation Court of Existing Claims,
or the Corporation Commission shall be paid a salary pursuant to the
salary schedule established b y the annual appropriation for the
district courts and Corporation Commission and in accordance with
the job description for the position to which appointed. On October
1, 2021, each court reporter shall receive a one -time stipend of One
Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,250.00) For fiscal year 2023
and each fiscal year thereafter , each court reporter shall receive
an annual salary of Fifty-three Thousand Dollars ($53,000 .00).
B. In addition to their base salaries, official cou rt reporters
who are certified or licensed shorthand reporters and those acting ENR. H. B. NO. 4118 Page 2
shorthand reporters pursuant to paragraph c of Section 106.3B o f
this title shall be paid annually the sum of Four Hundred Dollars
($400.00) for each year of service to the dis trict court, the
Workers' Compensation Court, the Workers ' Compensation Court of
Existing Claims and the Corporation Commission, with a maximum of
twenty (20) years of service only to be used for the purpose of
longevity, not to exceed Eight Thousand Dolla rs ($8,000.00) per
year, payable monthly. For the purpose of payment for longevity,
"years of service" is defined as all years served as a cer tified or
licensed court reporter in the district court, the Workers '
Compensation Court and the Corporation Comm ission after June 30,
1978. Such longevity payments shall begin on July 1 of each year
following completion of one (1) year 's service as defined herein.
C. In addition to their base salaries, official court reporters
who are certified shorthand reporters shall be paid the foll owing:
1. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per
year, payable monthly, to any official court rep orter who is a
Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), as recognized by the State
Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters. To qualify as
a RPR, an official court reporter shall have a proficiency level in
reporting testimony and proceedings of a speed of not less than two
hundred twenty-five (225) words per minute in taking a question -and-
answer-type dictation, two hundred (20 0) words per minute in taking
a jury charge and one hundred eighty (180) words per minute in
taking literary material, s hall pass a Written Knowledge Test with a
score of at least seventy percent (70%), all as determined by an
examination recognized by the Board, and shall complete thirty (30)
hours of continuing education per three -year cycle commencing at the
date of recognition;
2. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per
year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a
Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), as recognized by the State Board of
Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters. To qu alify as a RMR, an
official court reporter shall have a proficiency level in reporting
testimony and proceedings of a speed of not less than two hundred
sixty (260) words per minute in taking a question -and-answer-type
dictation, two hundred forty (240) wo rds per minute in taking a jury
charge and two hundred (200) words per minute in taking literary
material, shall pass a Written Knowledg e Test with a score of at
least seventy percent (70%), all as determined by an examination
recognized by the Board, and shall complete thirty (30) hours of ENR. H. B. NO. 4118 Page 3
continuing education per three -year cycle commencing at the date of
recognition;
3. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per
year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a
Registered Diplomat Reporter (RDR), as recognized by the State Board
of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, and who completes
thirty (30) hours of continuing education per three -year cycle
commencing at the date of recognition;
4. The sum of One Thousand Fiv e Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per
year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a
Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), as r ecognized by the State Board
of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, and who completes
thirty (30) hours of conti nuing education per three-year cycle
commencing at the date of recognition; or
5. Any official court reporter wh o is the holder of more than
one certification shall be compensated in the additional amounts
specified in paragraphs 1 through 4 of this subse ction for each
certification up to a maximum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00)
per year over and above the repo rter's base salary, payable monthly.
D. Court reporters temporarily employed by the district court,
Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Cl aims, or Corporation
Commission shall be compensated by the court fund of the court which
they serve at a rate to be set by such court. In addition, court
reporters temporarily employed pursuant to this subsection who are
required by the terms of their em ployment to travel outside their
county of residence shall receive reimbursement for mileage actually
and necessarily traveled to and fr om the place of attendance at a
rate not to exceed the rate of reimbursement specified in the State
Travel Reimbursement Act for state employees. Any travel
reimbursement shall be paid from the court fund of the court where
the service of the temporarily employed court reporter is provided.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 125, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 125. A. In all counties of the state there is created
the office of secretary -bailiff for district judg es and associate
district judges, with each such secretary -bailiff to be appointed by
order of the district judge or a ssociate district judge to serve at
the will of the appointing judge as an unclassified employee of the
state exempt from the provisions o f the Oklahoma Merit System of ENR. H. B. NO. 4118 Page 4
Personnel Administration. The Chief Justice shall approve by
administrative directive the number and assignments of secretary-
bailiffs in all counties of the state. Each secretary-bailiff shall
be paid a salary pursuant to the salary schedule established by the
annual appropriation for the district courts and in accordance with
the job description for the position to which appointed. For fiscal
year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter , each secretary-bailiff
shall receive an annual salary of Forty-two Thousand Dollars
($42,000.00). In every county of the state each district judge and
each associate district judge may by order appoint additional
necessary court personnel subject to the approval of the Chief
Justice. A part-time bailiff shall be paid out of the court fund of
the county where appointed at the rate set by administrative
directive for each hour that such person actually attends the court
and performs services, or a pro rata fraction there of for less than
an hour of service. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
each district judge and associate district judge may contra ct with
the sheriff of the county to allow a deputy sheriff to provide
bailiff service to the court.
B. With the approval of the presidin g judge, a special judge
may appoint a secretary -bailiff or other personnel in accordance
with the administrative ord er of the Chief Justice.
C. No judge shall engage more than one full -time secretary-
bailiff at any given time excep t only during the progr ess of a jury
trial, when a part-time bailiff may be engaged subject to the
approval of the Chief Justice. In the l atter event, no more than
one additional bailiff shall be engaged to take charge of the jury.
The costs of meals and lodging of bailiffs or dered to keep a jury
together during the process of a trial or after the jury retires for
deliberation shall be lawf ully paid from the court fund.
D. A district judge who sits regularly in more than one county
may employ only one fu ll-time secretary-bailiff in the judicial
district of the judge, and in any other county of the district the
judge may engage a bailiff on ly on a part-time basis when such judge
sits in the county as a judge pursuant to the procedures set forth
by the Chief Justice in the admini strative directive. The cost of
the operation of the office of a district judge of a multi -county
judicial district, including the purchase of equipment and supplies,
may be apportioned among the counties of that judicial district, or
appropriate division of that district, based upon the percentage of
revenue collected by the courts of the district.
ENR. H. B. NO. 4118 Page 5
E. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall develop and
promulgate job descriptions, salary schedules and time -keeping forms
for part-time bailiff personnel. The Chief Justice of the Oklahoma
Supreme Court, through the Office of the Administrative Director of
the Courts, shall promulgate rules for the compensation for overtime
for all secretary-bailiff and part-time bailiff personnel employed.
F. Persons employed by a county that does not meet the
requirements of Section 951 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
and who serve as full-time secretary-bailiffs or full-time bailiffs
shall be eligible to participate in the state retire ment system and
state insurance programs and any other benefits as are provided to
state employees in the unclassified service. All par t-time bailiff
personnel shall be compensated by the local court fund.
G. On October 1, 1989, the position of full -time bailiff shall
be redesignated as the position of secretary -bailiff in accordance
with the job descriptions , salary schedules, and procedures approved
by the Chief Justice. Additional secretary -bailiff positions shall
be created as funding and employee po sitions are available.
Counties shall be allowed to provide additional support personnel to
the judges sitting in such counties to the extent that funding is
available.
H. Any secretary-bailiff, who is CLEET -certified as a basic
peace officer, shall have and exercise all the p owers and authority
of a peace officer. The Office of the Administrative Director of
the Courts shall promulga te rules which prescribe the duties for all
CLEET-certified secretary-bailiffs. The provisions of this
subsection will not entitle a CLEET-certified secretary-bailiff to
participate in the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2022.
SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
ENR. H. B. NO. 4118 Page 6
Passed the House of Representatives the 10th day of May, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 25th day of April, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the Stat e of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State thi s __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________