SENATE, No. 748

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 15, 1996

By Senators CAFIERO and O'CONNOR

An Act concerning transcript fees and amending N.J.S.2B:7-4.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. N.J.S.2B:7-4 is amended to read as follows:

    2B:7-4. Transcript; Fees. a. [When a transcript of a stenographic record or other recording in any court or in any other proceeding recorded at the direction of the Supreme Court is made, at the request of any person, the original and copies thereof shall be prepared in the manner prescribed by Administrative Office of the Courts regulations and paid for at the rate of $1.50 for each page of the original and $0.50 for each of the copies.]

    When a transcript of the stenographic record or electronic recording record in any court or any other proceeding recorded at the direction of the Supreme Court is made by a reporter or recording transcriber, at the request of any person, the original and copies thereof shall be prepared in the manner prescribed by Administrative Office of the Courts regulations and the following fees shall be permitted:

    (1) For any transcript prepared and delivered on the same day, $6.00 per page and $0.50 per copy of each page;

    (2) For any transcript prepared overnight, $5.00 per page and $0.50 per copy of each page;

    (3) For any transcript prepared within two to seven days from the date of request, $4.00 per page and $0.50 per copy of each page; and

    (4) For any other transcript, $3.00 per page and $0.25 per copy of each page.

    b. If the transcript is furnished to a judge of the court, by court order, the reporter shall be paid at the same rates, and in the same manner and from the same sources as the reporter's salary or per diem fees are paid.

    [b.]c. Except as to transcripts that are to be paid for by the State or county, the person preparing the transcripts may require any person requesting a transcript to prepay the estimated fee therefor in advance of delivery of the transcript.

(cf: N.J.S.2B:7-4)

    2. This act shall take effect on the 60th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill would revise the present fee structure for transcripts prepared by court reporters and transcribers. Presently, the authorized fee is $1.50 per page and $0.50 per copy of each page of a transcript. This bill would permit a standard fee of $3.00 per page and $0.25 per copy. For transcripts produced within two to seven days, the bill would authorize a fee of $4.00 per page and $0.50 per copy. For transcripts produced overnight, the fee would be $5.00 per page and $0.50 per copy. For transcripts prepared and delivered the same day the fee would be $6.00 per page and $0.50 per copy. Transcription fees were last raised in 1981.

Revises fee structure for court transcripts.