SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1220        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 991

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester and Hampshire

 

Steven George Xiarhos

5th Barnstable

2/1/2023

Jacob R. Oliveira

Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester

2/7/2023

John J. Cronin

Worcester and Middlesex

2/7/2023

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

3/6/2023

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

3/17/2023

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

3/24/2023

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

3/24/2023

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

5/17/2023

Paul W. Mark

Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire

5/23/2023

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

5/23/2023

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

8/17/2023

Nick Collins

First Suffolk

9/26/2023

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

9/26/2023

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

9/26/2023


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1220        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 991

By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 991) of Anne M. Gobi, Steven George Xiarhos, Jacob R. Oliveira, John J. Cronin and others for legislation to furnish transcripts of notes and fees.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act concerning furnishing transcripts of notes and fees.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the word “stenographer" and inserting in place thereof the word: “transcriber.”

SECTION 2. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, “his” and inserting in place thereof the words: “their notes or audio recording.”

SECTION 3. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, “he” and inserting in place thereof the word: “they.”

SECTION 4. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, “$3” and inserting in place thereof the following: “$5.”

SECTION 5. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, “$1” and inserting in place thereof the following: “$1.67.”

SECTION 6. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, "additional."

SECTION 7, Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, "at the same time."

SECTION 8. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 6, the word “stenographer" and inserting in place thereof the word: “transcriber.”

SECTION 9. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition is hereby amended by striking out, in line 7, “$5” and inserting in place thereof: “$8.35.”

SECTION 10. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 9, “open source” and inserting in place thereof the word: “open-source.”

SECTION 11. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 10, "Additional paper."

SECTION 12. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 11, “$.10” and inserting in place thereof: “$.20”

SECTION 13. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 12, “daily” and inserting in place thereof the following word: “rush.”

SECTION 14. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, “$4.50” and inserting in place thereof: “$7.50.”

SECTION 15. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, "copy"

SECTION 16. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 13, “$1.50” and inserting in place thereof: “$2.50.”

SECTION 17. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 14, the word "additional."

SECTION 18. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 15, the word "stenographer" and inserting in place thereof the word "transcriber.”

SECTION 19. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 16, “$5” and inserting in place thereof: “$8.35.”

SECTION 20. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 17 "additional paper copies "

SECTION 21. Section 88 of  chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding, in line 18, after "indigent person," and inserting "the rate shall be $7.50 for the original and $.20 per page for each copy."

SECTION 22. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 19, “$.10” and inserting in place thereof: “$.20.”

SECTION 23. Section 88 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after paragraph one the following paragraph:

Section 88a.  Beginning on the first day of July 2028, and on the first day of each fifth July thereafter, the rates and fees set forth in section 88 shall be increased to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index as follows: The rates and fees set forth in section 88 shall be multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which shall be the Consumer Price Index for March 1993 and the numerator of which shall be the Consumer Price Index for the March immediately preceding the applicable July 1. For the purposes of this section, the Consumer Price Index shall mean that table in the Consumer Price Index published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, now known as: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Ma.-N.H. (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted). If this Consumer Price Index shall be discontinued, then the presiding justice of the administrative office of the trial court shall designate any successor Consumer Price Index of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, or any successor agency thereto for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts-New Hampshire. The (1) office of transcription services or (2) the presiding justice of the administrative office of the trial court shall issue directives to implement the purposes of this section.