SB0397eng 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0397 Engrossed LRB101 04158 LNS 49166 b

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Court Reporters Act is amended by changing Sections 1, 3, 4, 4.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.5 as follows:

(705 ILCS 70/1) (from Ch. 37, par. 651)

Sec. 1. Definitions. In this Act:

"Court reporter" means any person appointed by the chief judge of any circuit to perform the duties prescribed in Section 5 of this Act.

"Employer representative" means, with respect to wages, fringe benefits, hours, holidays, vacation, proficiency examinations, sick leave, and other conditions of employment:

(1) For court reporters employed by the Cook County Judicial Circuit Court of Cook County, the chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court of Cook County.

(2) For court reporters employed by the 12th, 18th, 19th, and, on and after December 4, 2006, the 22nd judicial circuits, a group consisting of the chief judges of those circuits, acting jointly by majority vote.

(3) For court reporters employed by all other judicial circuits, the chief judges of those circuits, acting jointly by majority vote.

The chief judge of the judicial circuit that employs a public employee who is a court reporter, as defined in this the Court Reporters Act, has the authority to hire, appoint, promote, evaluate, discipline, and discharge court reporters within that judicial circuit.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/3) (from Ch. 37, par. 653)

Sec. 3. Number; determination and certification. The number of full-time and part-time court reporters that may be appointed in each circuit shall be determined by the employer representative. In determining how many court reporters are needed in each circuit the employer representative shall consider the following factors: (1) case loads in the circuit; (2) the number of associate judges and circuit judges in the circuit; (3) (blank) the number and location in the circuit of major federal and state highways; (4) (blank) the location in the circuit of state police highway truck weighing stations; (5) (blank) the relationship of urban population to large metropolitan centers in the various counties of the circuit; (6) (blank) the location in the circuit of state institutions including, but not limited to, universities, colleges, mental health facilities, penitentiaries; (7) (blank) the number of cities and towns within each circuit in which regular court sessions are held and the distance in road miles between each; and (8) any other factor deemed relevant by the employer representative.

The employer representative may, as the need arises, increase or lower the number of such court reporters so authorized.

The Chief Judge of each circuit may designate any number of approved full-time court reporter positions as time share positions. For the purposes of this Act, "time share position" means a full-time court reporter position that is divided among 2 or more court reporters with the full-time salary and benefits being apportioned among the court reporters in the same percentage as the duties of the full-time position are apportioned.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/4) (from Ch. 37, par. 654)

Sec. 4. Appointment; oath. The chief judge may appoint all or any of the number of court reporters authorized by Section 3 of this Act. The court reporters so appointed shall serve at the direction of the chief judge and may be removed by the chief judge.

Each court reporter appointed shall, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, take the official oath to faithfully discharge the duties of his or her office to the best of his or her knowledge and ability.

The appointments shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the circuit in which the court reporters are employed and shall continue in force until revoked by the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/4.1) (from Ch. 37, par. 654.1)

Sec. 4.1. Appointment and salary of administrative personnel.

(a) The employer representative may authorize the chief judge of any single county circuit to appoint administrative, supervisory, and clerical staff when a need for such positions has been substantiated in which official court reporting services are centrally administered, (1) to appoint from among the court reporters appointed in the circuit an Administrator of Court Reporters, a Deputy Administrator of Court Reporters and 2 Assistant Administrators of Court Reporters, (2) to designate from among the court reporters appointed in the circuit one Reporter Supervisor and one Assistant Reporter Supervisor for each Department and Division of the circuit court, and (3) to appoint secretarial and other support staff to assist the Administrator. Each Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Assistant Administrator, Reporter Supervisor, and Assistant Reporter Supervisor shall have an "A" proficiency rating, by examination, as provided in Section 7.

(b) Administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid by the State.

(1) In addition to their regular salary as official court reporters, the administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid such additional sums as the employer representative specifies. Such sums shall be included in the pay schedule adopted pursuant to Section 8. The additional amounts paid shall reflect the burden of administrative responsibility borne by the administrative personnel and the consequent lack of opportunity to produce transcripts of testimony. The additional amounts paid to such personnel shall be determined by the employer representative. not exceed the following:

(A) Administrator of Court Reporters: $20,000 per year;

(B) Deputy Administrator of Court Reporters: $15,000 per year;

(C) Assistant Administrators of Court Reporters: $13,000 per year;

(D) Reporter Supervisors: $10,000 per year.

(E) Assistant Reporter Supervisors: $5,000 per year.

(2) Each of the administrative, supervisory, secretarial and other support staff authorized under this Section shall be paid a salary as determined per year by the employer representative.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/5) (from Ch. 37, par. 655)

Sec. 5. Means of reporting; transcripts. The court reporter shall make a full reporting by means of stenographic hand or machine notes, or a combination thereof, of the evidence and such other proceedings in trials and judicial proceedings to which he or she is assigned by the chief judge, and the court reporter may use an electronic instrument as a supplementary device. In the event that the court utilizes an audio or video recording system approved by the Supreme Court to record the proceedings, a court reporting services employee reporter shall be in charge of such system; however, the appointment of a court reporter to be in charge of an audio or video recording system shall not be required where such system is the judge's personal property or has been supplied by a party or such party's attorney. To the extent that it does not substantially interfere with the court reporter's other official duties, the judge to whom, or a judge of the division to which, a reporter may be is assigned may assign a reporter to secretarial or clerical duties arising out of official court operations.

A court reporting services employee may charge a page rate for the preparation of transcripts of court proceedings not to exceed the rate set by the employer representative in the Uniform Schedule of Charges for Transcripts.

Unless and until otherwise provided in a Uniform Schedule of Charges which may hereafter be provided by rule or order of the employer representative, a court reporter may charge not to exceed 25¢ per 100 words for making transcripts of his notes. The fees for making transcripts shall be paid in the first instance by the party in whose behalf such transcript is ordered and shall be taxed in the suit.

The transcripts shall be filed and remain with the papers of the case. When the judge trying the case shall, of his own motion, order a transcript of the court reporter's notes, the judge may direct the payment of the charges therefor, and the taxation of the charges as costs in such manner as to him may seem just. Provided, that the charges for making but one transcript shall be taxed as costs and the party first ordering the transcript shall have preference unless it shall be otherwise ordered by the court.

The change made to this Section by this amendatory Act of 1987 is intended to apply retroactively from and after January 1, 1987.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/6) (from Ch. 37, par. 656)

Sec. 6. Assignment to serve outside of county of appointment; Travel expenses.

The chief judge may assign a court reporter to serve anywhere within the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed. A court reporter shall be paid travel expenses incurred in connection with his or her official duties in his or her circuit of appointment outside the county wherein he or she resides. Subject to regulations which may be adopted by the employer representative Supreme Court, court reporters shall be allowed travel expenses when traveling within their county of residence in connection with their official duties.

The employer representative may assign a court reporter to temporary service outside his or her own circuit, but within the jurisdiction of the employer representative, with the consent of the chief judge of his circuit. A court reporter shall be paid travel expenses incurred in connection with his or her official duties during such periods of temporary assignment.

Expense vouchers shall be submitted to the employer representative for approval. The expense vouchers or claims submitted to the Office of the Comptroller for payment employer representative shall have endorsed thereon the signed approval of the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed incurred the expense for which claim is made.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/7) (from Ch. 37, par. 657)

Sec. 7. Proficiency tests. Each Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each court reporter in office on January 1, 1966 or appointed on or after that date shall have taken or shall thereafter take a test to verify rate his or her proficiency within one year of employment. The test shall be prepared and administered by the employer representative in consultation with each of the other employer representatives pursuant to standards set by rules. A proficiency test passed prior to employment may be accepted by the chief judge as proof of proficiency. The test shall consist of three parts designated Part A, Part B and Part C. If the court reporter in office on January 1, 1966, or appointed on or after that date, successfully passes any Part he shall be given a certificate designating him as an official court reporter. If such court reporter fails to pass any part, the employer representative shall so inform the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter serves. Upon receipt of note that a court reporter has failed to pass any part of the test, the chief judge may discharge the court reporter or may allow him to continue until the test is next administered. If, when the test is next administered, the court reporter fails to pass any part of the test, he shall be discharged by the chief judge.

The test shall be administered at least every six months if there are candidates or applicants for the test. Any court reporter who has passed Part C of the test may apply to take the Part B or the Part A section of the test at the regular time such tests are given. If the court reporter successfully completes Part B or Part A of the test, his proficiency rating shall be adjusted to reflect passage of the more difficult Part.

Any court reporter who served as a court reporter in a circuit court for 5 years immediately preceding January 1, 1966 shall be certified as an official court reporter without examination, and shall be credited with an "A" proficiency rating, without examination.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/8) (from Ch. 37, par. 658)

Sec. 8. Salaries.

(a) The salaries of all court reporters shall be paid by the State. Full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $29,500 per year through June 30, 1984. Beginning July 1, 1984, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $31,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1985, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $33,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1986, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $35,250 annually. Beginning July 1, 1987, full-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $6,000 nor more than $37,250 annually. Part-time court reporters shall be paid not less than $12 nor more than $60 per half-day. The salary of each individual court reporter shall be computed from a schedule adopted by the employer representative. The salary schedule shall reflect the following relevant factors: (1) proficiency rating; (2) experience; (3) population of the area to which a reporter is normally assigned; (3-1) court reporters shall receive the same annual percentage salary increase as provided to other State-paid non-judicial employees of the Judicial Branch with equivalent salaries, except that notwithstanding any other provision of law, salaries of full time court reporters shall be increased by at least a percentage increase equivalent to that of the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, by Occupation and Industry Groups, State and Local Government Workers Public Administration", as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be added to the then current annual salary and the adjusted salary so determined shall be the annual salary beginning July 1 of the increase year until July 1 of the next year; (4) other factors considered relevant by the employer representative Director.

(b) (Blank).

(c) (Blank). A court reporter who has previously passed, or who hereafter passes, Part A or Part B of a proficiency test prepared and administered by the employer representative shall be credited with an "A" or "B" proficiency rating, as appropriate.

(d) (Blank). A court reporter who has been credited with an "A" proficiency rating, without examination, as provided in Section 7 of this Act, shall receive a salary of $10,000 per annum. Any increase in the maximum salary payable to reporters shall not result in any increase for such reporter unless and until he has passed the proficiency test.

(e) The salaries of all official court reporters employed by the State shall be paid semi-monthly monthly, from moneys appropriated to the Comptroller for that purpose, on the voucher of the chief judge of the circuit employing the court reporters. The Comptroller may require all salary claims by part-time reporters to be substantiated by certificates signed by the reporter and approved by the chief judge of the circuit.

(f) (Blank). The salaries of time share court reporter positions may be apportioned in the manner provided in Section 3 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.1)

Sec. 8.1. Appropriation request. Each employer representative shall make an annual appropriation request in January to the General Assembly to fund court reporters. When necessary, an employer representative may request supplemental appropriations to fund court reporters.

(Source: P.A. 94-98, eff. 7-1-05.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.2)

Sec. 8.2. Collective Supreme Court; collective bargaining. The employer representatives Supreme Court shall collectively bargain over wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment of all persons employed as court reporters in this State if so agreed upon by a majority vote of the employees within each employer group. The employer representative Supreme Court shall recognize an exclusive bargaining representative of persons employed as court reporters in this State, if that representative makes a showing, through an election or otherwise, that it represents a majority of the court reporters within the employer group, in accordance with procedures for verifying majority status established by the Court.

(Source: P.A. 93-89, eff. 7-2-03.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.5)

Sec. 8.5. Advisory arbitration for collective bargaining.

(a) All matters concerning wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment of court reporters are subject to advisory, non-binding arbitration.

(b) Any party to a collective bargaining agreement with the exclusive bargaining representative chosen under Section 8.2 may request that any matter concerning wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employment of court reporters shall be submitted to advisory, non-binding arbitration and that the employer representative Supreme Court shall appoint arbitrators. Upon receiving such a request, the employer representative Court shall appoint a panel of one or more arbitrators and submit the matter to the panel for advisory, non-binding arbitration. The employer representative Court shall consult with the parties in determining acceptable arbitrators.

(c) Arbitrators appointed by the employer representative Supreme Court under this Section are entitled to compensation and to reimbursement for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their duties, as provided by rules adopted by the employer representative Court. Arbitrators' compensation and reimbursement shall be paid from moneys appropriated for that purpose.

(d) The employer representative Supreme Court shall create a roster of arbitrators who are available and qualified for appointment under this Section, as provided by rules adopted by the Court.

(Source: P.A. 93-89, eff. 7-2-03.)