2025 -- S 0354
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LC001187
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT SECRETARIES,
COURT REPORTERS, AND ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTERS
Introduced By: Senators Dimitri, Vargas, DiMario, Appollonio, Tikoian, and Bissaillon
Date Introduced: February 21, 2025
Referred To: Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 8-5-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-5 entitled "Court Secretaries, 1
Court Reporters, and Electronic Court Reporters" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
8-5-5. Reports of superior, family and district court and traffic tribunal. 3
Court reporters shall report stenographically or electronic court reporters or similar 4
recording personnel shall report electronically the proceedings in the trial of every action or 5
proceeding, civil or criminal, in the superior court, family court, district court and traffic tribunal. 6
Each court reporter or electronic court reporter or similar recording personnel shall also, upon the 7
order of any justice of the court, transcribe or otherwise reproduce his or her report to be filed with 8
the papers in the case. He or she shall also make a transcript of or otherwise reproduce the whole 9
or any part of the report upon the written request, filed with the clerk, by either party to the action 10
or proceeding, and when completed and within the time limited by the court for filing the transcript, 11
shall immediately deliver the transcript to the party ordering it, or to the attorney of record of the 12
party, and in the case of transcription by court reporters for such service shall be paid a reasonable 13
compensation, not less than five dollars ($5.00) and not exceeding three dollars ($3.00) three dollars 14
and fifty cents ($3.50) per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) two dollars 15
($2.00) per page for copies thereof, to be allowed by the court; and, in case the transcript is used in 16
subsequent proceedings in the cause, the cost of the transcript may be allowed as a part of the costs. 17
In the case of electronic court recordings the person making the recordings or another person so 18
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designated by the court may be requested or ordered, in lieu of making a transcript, to reproduce 1
the recording and certify its authenticity, and in such case each party requesting the reproduction 2
shall pay to the court the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per cassette. 3
SECTION 2. Section 8-10-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-10 entitled "Family Court" 4
is hereby amended to read as follows: 5
8-10-37. Report of trials — Transcripts. 6
Subject to the provisions of § 8-10-21, court reporters shall report stenographically, or court 7
recording clerks or similar recording personnel shall report electronically, the proceedings in the 8
trial of every action or proceeding, civil or criminal, in the family court. Each court reporter or 9
court recording clerk or similar recording personnel shall also, upon the order of any justice of the 10
court, transcribe or otherwise reproduce his or her report to be filed with the papers in the case. He 11
or she shall also make a transcript or otherwise reproduce the whole or any part of the report upon 12
the written request, filed with the clerk, by either party to the action or proceeding, and when 13
completed and within the time limited by the court for filing the transcript, shall immediately 14
deliver the same to the party ordering it, or to the attorney of record of the party, and in the case of 15
transcription by court reporters for such service shall be paid a reasonable compensation, not less 16
than five dollars ($5.00) and not exceeding three dollars ($3.00) three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) 17
per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) two dollars ($2.00) per page for copies 18
thereof to be allowed by the court; and, in case the transcript is used in subsequent proceedings in 19
the cause, the cost of the transcript may be allowed as part of the costs. In the case of electronic 20
court recordings the person making the recordings or another person so designated by the court 21
may be requested or ordered, in lieu of making a transcript, to reproduce the recording and certify 22
its authenticity, and in such case each party requesting the reproduction shall pay to the court the 23
sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per cassette. 24
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 25
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT SECRETARIES,
COURT REPORTERS, AND ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTERS
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This act would increase the per page transcription fees for court reporters in court 1
proceedings. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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LC001187
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