Req. No. 7900 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 1396 By: Hasenbeck COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE An Act relating to courts; amending 20 O.S. 2021, Section 106.9, which relates to salaries of court reporters; increasing court report er salaries; providing a maximum salary increase; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKL AHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 106.9, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 271, O.S.L. 2022 (20 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 106.9), is amended to read as follows: Section 106.9 A. Each court reporter regularly engag ed 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 an d in accordance with the job description for the position to which appointed. For fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter , each court reporter shall Req. No. 7900 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 receive an annual salary of Fifty-three Thousand Dollars ($53,000.00). B. In addition to their b ase salaries, official court reporters who are certified or licensed shorthand reporters and those acting 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 district 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 Dollars ($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 Commission 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) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter 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 Req. No. 7900 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 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 (200) words per minute in taking a jury charge and one hundred eighty (180) words per minute in taking literary material, shall 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 Doll ars ($1,500.00) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), as recognized by the State Board of Exami ners of Certified Shorthand Reporters. To qualify as a RMR, an official court reporter shall have a proficiency level in repor ting 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) words per minute in taking a jury charge and two hundred (200) words per minute in taking literary material, shall 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; Req. No. 7900 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Registered Diplomat Reporter (RDR), as recognized by the Sta te Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, and who completes thirty (30) h ours of continuing education per three-year cycle commencing at the date of recognition; 4. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Certified Realti me Reporter (CRR), as recognized 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) Eight Thousand Dollars ($8,000. 00) per year over and above the reporter's base salary, payable monthly. D. Court reporters tempor arily employed by the district court, Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims, 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 Req. No. 7900 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 reporters temporaril y employed pursuant to this subsection who are required by the terms of their employment 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. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. 59-1-7900 JM 03/02/23