CT HB05504

Establishes the State Board of Examiners of Court Reporters within the Department of Consumer Protection, composed of 6 members including an attorney, 2 public members, and 3 court reporters, with initial appointments by September 1, 2020.

Requires all court reporting service entities to register with the Department of Consumer Protection by October 1, 2020, with an initial registration fee of $250 and annual renewal fee of $250.

Mandates individual court reporters to obtain licenses by October 1, 2020, requiring passage of an examination substantially similar to the National Court Reporters Association exam or equivalent credentials, with application fee of $100 and licensure fee of $200.

Establishes standards of conduct for court reporters and entities, prohibiting incomplete transcripts, unequal pricing to parties, gifts to attorneys, conflicts of interest, and materially inaccurate transcripts; violations subject to license/registration suspension or revocation and civil penalties up to $1,000.

Requires final transcripts to meet specific formatting guidelines (minimum 25 lines per page, 9-10 characters per inch, specified margins) and prohibits charging different rates to different parties for the same services.