THIS SECTION WAS AMENDED BY ACT 2018-148 IN THE 2018 REGULAR SESSION, EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2018. THIS IS NOT IN THE CURRENT CODE SUPPLEMENT.

(a) An official court reporter shall be paid a salary by the state in an amount as shall be established by law, to be paid as other state employees are paid.

(b)(1) In addition to the salary paid by the state, each official court reporter shall be paid a salary by the counties composing the circuit in an amount as shall be established by law.

(2) In circuits composed of more than one county, each county shall pay its pro rata part thereof, based on the assessed tax valuation of all property in the county for the preceding year.

(3) The payments shall be made in favor of the official court reporter for the respective amounts due by the several counties each month and shall be paid by the treasurer of each county out of the general fund.

(c) This section shall not be construed to repeal or amend any local law, special law, general law, or general law of local application providing extra allowances, compensation, or expenses, for any official court reporter paid from the funds of any county or counties.

(d)(1) Beginning on October 1, 2018, the state salary of an official court reporter not covered by the Merit System of the State of Alabama shall conform to the pay scale established by the State of Alabama Personnel Department Pay Plan for state employees.

(2) An official court reporter serving on October 1, 2018, shall receive a salary equivalent to step 8 of pay grade 77.

(3) An official court reporter employed after October 1, 2018, shall receive a salary equivalent to step 1 of pay grade 77.

(e) An official court reporter shall be entitled to any cost-of-living adjustments given to all state employees and shall also be entitled to any merit raises given to Unified Judicial System employees after March 1, 2018.

(f) In the event of a break in service of an official court reporter paid under the pay scale established by the State of Alabama Personnel Department Pay Plan for state employees, should the official court reporter return to service, the official court reporter shall return to service under the same grade and step in effect at the separation date of the official court reporter.