ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1626

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: NOVEMBER 7, 1996

 

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1626.

      This bill would revise the present fee structure for transcripts prepared by court reporters and transcribers which were last raised in 1981. Presently, the authorized fee is $1.50 per page and $0.50 per copy of each page of a transcript.        In its original form, this bill would have permitted the following fees: a standard fee of $3.00 per page and $0.25 per copy; for transcripts produced within two to seven days a fee of $4.00 per page and $0.50 per copy; for transcripts produced overnight a fee of $5.00 per page and $0.50 per copy;for transcripts prepared and delivered the same day a fee of $6.00 per page and $0.50 per copy.

      The amendments adopted by the committee would amend the bill by phasing in the fee increase as follows:

      (1) For any transcript prepared and delivered on the same day, $4.00 per page through December 31, 1997, $5.00 per page through December 31, 1998, $5.50 per page through December 31, 1999 and $6.00 per page thereafter and $0.50 per copy of each page;

      (2) For any transcript prepared overnight, $3.00 per page through December 31, 1997, $4.00 per page through December 31, 1998, $4.50 per page through December 31, 1999 and $5.00 per page thereafter and $0.50 per copy of each page;

      (3) For any transcript prepared within two to seven days from the date of request, $2.25 per page through December 31, 1997 , $3.00 per page through December 31, 1998, $3.50 per page through December 31, 1999 and $4.00 per page thereafter and $0.50 per copy of each page; and

      (4) For any other transcript, $1.50 per page through December 31, 1997 , $2.00 per page through December 31, 1998, $2.50 per page through December 31, 1999 and $3.00 per page thereafter and $0.50 per copy of each page