HOUSE AMENDMENT

    585-183AXA-06                            Bill No. CS/CS/HB 577

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
                                   .
                                   .
  1                                .
                                   .
  2                                .
                                   .
  3                                .
                                   .
  4  ______________________________________________________________

  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

  6

  7

  8

  9

10  ______________________________________________________________

11  Representative(s) Ritter offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 10, line 6, of the bill

15

16  insert:

17         Section 1.  Section 25.3835, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         25.3835  Court reporting; purpose; definition;

20  registration required; registry of court reporters created;

21  registration number required on transcripts.--

22         (1)  PURPOSE.--The Legislature recognizes that there is

23  a public need for independent court reporters and that it is

24  necessary to assure the public and litigants that they will

25  always be able to identify and locate a court reporter who

26  recorded and transcribed any portion of an official

27  proceeding, testimony, deposition, or trial and, therefore,

28  deems it necessary to require registration of court reporters.

29         (2)  COURT REPORTING DEFINED.--The term "court

30  reporting" means the act of making a verbatim record of spoken

31  word, whether by use of written symbols, stenomask equipment,

                                  1

    File original & 9 copies    03/05/02
    hbd0005                     09:53 am         00577-0096-231749




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    585-183AXA-06                            Bill No. CS/CS/HB 577

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  or electronic devices, in any proceeding pending in any of the

  2  state or federal courts of the state, including all discovery

  3  proceedings conducted in connection therewith, and all

  4  proceedings required by statute to be reported by a certified

  5  or official court reporter or any administrative hearing or

  6  official proceeding. Court reporting does not include the act

  7  of electronic recording or the transcription of any electronic

  8  recording.

  9         (3)  REGISTRATION REQUIRED.--Notwithstanding s. 25.383,

10  effective January 1, 2003, all court reporters must be

11  registered with the Florida Court Reporters Association.

12         (4)  REGISTRY OF COURT REPORTERS CREATED.--The Florida

13  Court Reporters Association is hereby authorized to create and

14  maintain a registry of all court reporters who transcribe any

15  proceeding held in the State of Florida. The association shall

16  determine an annual fee to be collected by the association for

17  the purpose of maintaining a statewide registry of all Florida

18  court reporters. Said registration fee shall cover the normal

19  and customary costs associated with the creation and

20  maintenance of the registry. Upon registration, the

21  association shall issue each court reporter a registration

22  number that shall appear on all transcripts taken or used in

23  any court proceeding, administrative hearing, or official

24  meeting of any public body. The Florida Court Reporters

25  Association shall make available to the general public upon

26  request the current business location information for any

27  court reporter registered within the State of Florida.

28         (5)  REGISTRATION NUMBER REQUIRED ON ALL

29  TRANSCRIPTS.--Effective June 1, 2003, all transcripts taken or

30  transcribed by any court reporter in any proceeding must

31  contain the registration number of the court reporter who

                                  2

    File original & 9 copies    03/05/02
    hbd0005                     09:53 am         00577-0096-231749




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    585-183AXA-06                            Bill No. CS/CS/HB 577

    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)





  1  recorded or transcribed the proceeding.

  2

  3

  4  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

  5  And the title is amended as follows:

  6         On page 1, line 2, after the semicolon,

  7

  8  insert:

  9         creating s. 25.3835, F.S.; providing

10         legislative purpose with respect to court

11         reporters; defining "court reporting";

12         requiring court reporters to be registered;

13         creating a registry of court reporters;

14         requiring registration numbers on all

15         transcripts;

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  3

    File original & 9 copies    03/05/02
    hbd0005                     09:53 am         00577-0096-231749