AB 1189: Court reporting: digital reporters and legal transcriptionists.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes the Court Reporters Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of shorthand reporters. Existing law requires an applicant for certification as a shorthand reporter to obtain a passing score on a certified shorthand reporter examination specified by the board, and requires an applicant to meet specified requirements to qualify to take the examination. A violation of the provisions regulating shorthand reporters is a misdemeanor.

This bill would provide for the certification of digital reporters by the board and would authorize a certified digital reporter, among other things, to swear in witnesses and capture the record in a legal proceeding. The bill would also provide for the certification of legal transcriptionists by the board and would authorize a legal transcriptionist to, among other things, certify transcripts for use in legal proceedings. The bill would establish application and qualifications for these certifications, including requiring applicants for either certification to obtain a certificate from a certain professional organization, or meet other specified requirements. By expanding the scope of existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would require the board to establish certification and renewal fees for digital reporters and legal transcriptionists. Because some of those fees would be required to be deposited into the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.

This bill would make it an unfair labor practice for a court to terminate a certified shorthand reporter and transfer their job duties to a digital reporter or legal transcriptionist, and would create a presumption that terminating a certified shorthand reporter within ____ days before or after hiring a digital reporter or legal transcriptionist is a violation of that prohibition.

Existing law, the Civil Discovery Act, requires that depositions be taken stenographically by a certified shorthand reporter, except as specified.

This bill would instead require depositions to be recorded stenographically by a certified shorthand reporter or a certified digital recorder, and would, for purposes of certain provision of that act, specify that a deposition is recorded stenographically when it is recorded by either a certified stenographer or certified digital recorder.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. February 2, 2026From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2. January 31, 2026Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
3. April 21, 2025In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
4. April 1, 2025Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
5. March 28, 2025From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
6. March 28, 2025Referred to Coms. on JUD. and B. & P.
7. February 24, 2025Read first time.
8. February 22, 2025From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
9. February 21, 2025Introduced. To print.