WEST virginia legislature

2019 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2517

By Delegate Canestraro, Pushkin and Williams

[Introduced January 18, 2019; Referred
to the Committee on Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §51-7-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to compensation for full time official court reporters; and providing for salary increases based upon years of service.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 7. OFFICIAL REPORTERS.

§51-7-5. Salary in lieu of all other compensation.

(a) If neither of the methods of compensation provided for in section three of this article be is adopted, a salary may be allowed in lieu of all other compensation, which shall be paid at least twice per month, out of the State Treasury, in such proportions amounts as the court or judge may fix in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court of Appeals. All fees for services rendered by the official reporter in the discharge of his or her duties as such, when he or she is allowed a salary under the provisions of this section, may be collected, and shall, when collected by the sheriff or official reporter, be paid into the State Treasury; and it shall be the duty of such the reporter to make out, sign and deliver to the sheriff a fee bill in every case, civil or criminal, giving the style thereof and the amount due, and from whom, which amount may be collected or levied for by the sheriff, and such the fee bill shall have the force and effect of an execution when levied. An official reporter compensated under the provisions of this section shall collect the fees mentioned in §51-7-4 of this code for any transcript of his or her shorthand notes of the testimony or proceedings furnished by him or her to any party, and shall pay the same over to the sheriff of the county in which the services were performed, to be by him or her accounted for and paid into the State Treasury.

(b) Full time official reporters may receive salary increases based upon years of service in such percentages as the court or judge may fix in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit salary increases for full time official court reporters based upon years of service.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.