A. Each court reporter regularly engaged by the district court, the Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims, or the Corporation Commission shall be paid a salary pursuant to the salary schedule established by the annual appropriation for the district courts and Corporation Commission and in accordance with the job description for the position to which appointed.

B. In addition to their base salaries, official court reporters who are certified or licensed shorthand reporters and those acting shorthand reporters pursuant to paragraph c of Section 106.3B of this title shall be paid annually the sum of Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) for each year of service to the district court, the Workers' Compensation Court, the Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims and the Corporation Commission, with a maximum of twenty (20) years of service only to be used for the purpose of longevity, not to exceed Eight Thousand Dollars ($8,000.00) per year, payable monthly. For the purpose of payment for longevity, "years of service" is defined as all years served as a certified or licensed court reporter in the district court, the Workers' Compensation Court and the Corporation Commission after June 30, 1978. Such longevity payments shall begin on July 1 of each year following completion of one (1) year's service as defined herein.

C. In addition to their base salaries, official court reporters who are certified shorthand reporters shall be paid the following:

1. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR), as recognized by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters. To qualify as a RPR, an official court reporter shall have a proficiency level in reporting testimony and proceedings of a speed of not less than two hundred twenty-five (225) words per minute in taking a question-and-answer-type dictation, two hundred (200) words per minute in taking a jury charge and one hundred eighty (180) words per minute in taking literary material, shall pass a Written Knowledge Test with a score of at least seventy percent (70%), all as determined by an examination recognized by the Board, and shall complete thirty (30) hours of continuing education per three-year cycle commencing at the date of recognition;

2. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Registered Merit Reporter (RMR), as recognized by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters. To qualify as a RMR, an official court reporter shall have a proficiency level in reporting testimony and proceedings of a speed of not less than two hundred sixty (260) words per minute in taking a question-and-answer-type dictation, two hundred forty (240) words per minute in taking a jury charge and two hundred (200) words per minute in taking literary material, shall pass a Written Knowledge Test with a score of at least seventy percent (70%), all as determined by an examination recognized by the Board, and shall complete thirty (30) hours of continuing education per three-year cycle commencing at the date of recognition;

3. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Registered Diplomat Reporter (RDR), as recognized by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, and who completes thirty (30) hours of continuing education per three-year cycle commencing at the date of recognition;

4. The sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per year, payable monthly, to any official court reporter who is a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), as recognized by the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, and who completes thirty (30) hours of continuing education per three-year cycle commencing at the date of recognition; or

5. Any official court reporter who is the holder of more than one certification shall be compensated in the additional amounts specified in paragraphs 1 through 4 of this subsection for each certification up to a maximum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) per year over and above the reporter's base salary, payable monthly.

D. Court reporters temporarily employed by the district court, Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims, or Corporation Commission shall be compensated by the court fund of the court which they serve at a rate to be set by such court. In addition, court reporters temporarily employed pursuant to this subsection who are required by the terms of their employment to travel outside their county of residence, shall receive reimbursement for mileage actually and necessarily traveled to and from the place of attendance at a rate not to exceed the rate of reimbursement specified in the State Travel Reimbursement Act for state employees. Any travel reimbursement shall be paid from the court fund of the court where the service of the temporarily employed court reporter is provided.

Added by Laws 1974, c. 299, § 1, emerg. eff. May 29, 1974. Amended by Laws 1975, c. 297, § 8, emerg. eff. June 7, 1975; Laws 1976, c. 269, § 4, emerg. eff. June 15, 1976; Laws 1978, c. 228, § 3, eff. July 1, 1978; Laws 1979, c. 230, § 5, emerg. eff. June 1, 1979; Laws 1980, c. 280, § 6, emerg. eff. June 11, 1980; Laws 1981, c. 281, § 6, emerg. eff. June 29, 1981; Laws 1982, c. 357, § 6, emerg. eff. June 2, 1982; Laws 1985, c. 203, § 38, operative July 1, 1985; Laws 1988, c. 302, § 6, operative July 1, 1988; Laws 1989, c. 264, § 6, operative July 1, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 264, § 37, operative July 1, 1990; Laws 1994, c. 340, § 2; Laws 1995, c. 328, § 6, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1996, c. 57, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1998, c. 311, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 2000, c. 37, § 7, eff. Oct. 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 418, § 3, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2004, c. 343, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2004; Laws 2006, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 36, § 1; Laws 2007, c. 84, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2007; Laws 2011, c. 36, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2011; Laws 2019, c. 31, § 1, emerg. eff. April 10, 2019.

NOTE: Laws 1996, c. 300, § 5 amended the effective date of Laws 1996, c. 57, § 8 from January 1, 1997 to July 1, 1996.

NOTE: Laws 2006, 2nd Ex. Sess. c. 36, § 2 provides for an effective date of July 1, 2006, but c. 36 does not contain an emergency clause and the proposed effective date falls within 90 days of the adjournment of the Legislature, and pursuant to § 58 of Article 5 of the Constitution is ineffective.