HB806 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jim McClendon

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Court Reporting, Board of, Sunset Law review, continued with modifications until October 1, 2012, reference to the Alabama Judicial Conference deleted, appointment of a board member by the Chief Justice from a list of nominees provided by the Administrative Office of Courts provided for, continuing education, admissibility of depositions limited, liability of board limited, temporary graduate license, Secs. 34-8B-4, 34-8B-5, 34-8B-8, 34-8B-9, 34-8B-15 am'd.

Summary

HB806 would extend the Alabama Board of Court Reporting to October 1, 2012 with changes to how members are appointed, education requirements, deposition rules, board liability, and a new temporary graduate license for reporting graduates.

What This Bill Does

The bill continues the Alabama Board of Court Reporting until October 1, 2012 with modifications, including removing reference to the Alabama Judicial Conference and changing how board members are selected. It allows court reporters to use approved continuing legal education courses for ongoing education, limits the admissibility of certain depositions, and limits the board's liability. It also creates a temporary graduate license to practice for graduates of court reporting schools under specific conditions.

Who It Affects

• Court reporters and students: licensing requirements, continuing education, and a new temporary graduate license option for graduates of court reporting schools.
• Regulatory and legal community and the public: changes in board appointments (involving the Governor, Lt. Governor, President Pro Tempore, Speaker, and Chief Justice), a shift away from the Alabama Judicial Conference, and rules affecting deposition admissibility, board immunity, and public records.

Key Provisions

• Continues the Alabama Board of Court Reporting until October 1, 2012 with statutory changes.
• Deletes reference to the Alabama Judicial Conference; appoints board members through a specified combination of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice from lists provided by designated groups (AOC, ACRA, Alabama State Bar, and Alabama Judicial Conference).
• Creates a seven-member Board: four court reporters (two official, two freelance), two Alabama State Bar members, and one Alabama Judicial Conference member; establishes term lengths, rotation, and diversity requirements.
• Gives the Board duties over licensure, complaint investigations, license fee setting, maintaining licenses and records, annual reporting, and continuing education requirements tied to courses approved by the Alabama State Bar.
• Requires CE requirements to be adopted no later than Oct 1, 2007, implemented by Jan 1, 2008, including all courses approved by the Alabama State Bar for continuing legal education.
• Imposes rules on deposition admissibility to limit use of depositions where the reporter has a financial interest or a preferred vendor arrangement; allows exceptions for government agency filings.
• Provides that Board members have civil immunity for actions within the scope of their duties.
• Adds a temporary graduate license program for graduates of court reporting schools; includes limits on the number of temporary licenses and expiration timelines, with provisions if the licensee does not pass full licensure exams.
• Allows the Board to sue or be sued to recover damages from misconduct; makes unlicensed practice and certain false statements a Class C misdemeanor.
• Requires maintenance and public accessibility of licensee registers and board proceedings; outlines funding from board funds and travel reimbursement rules.
• Effective date: immediately upon passage and Governor's approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Court Reporting, Board of