705 ILCS 70/ Court Reporters Act.

(705 ILCS 70/1) (from Ch. 37, par. 651)

Sec. 1. Definitions. In this Act:

"Court reporter" means any person appointed by the chief judge of any circuit to perform the duties prescribed in Section 5 of this Act.

"Court reporting services employee" means any person employed by a chief judge of any circuit to take the court record by stenographic or electronic means. "Court reporting services employee" includes administrative personnel as permitted by Section 4.1 of this Act.

"Employer representative" means, with respect to wages, fringe benefits, hours, holidays, vacation, proficiency examinations, sick leave, and other conditions of employment:

(1) For court reporters employed by the Circuit Court of Cook County, the chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

(2) For court reporters employed by the 12th, 18th, 19th, and 22nd judicial circuits, a group consisting of the chief judges of those circuits, acting jointly by majority vote.

(3) For court reporters employed by all other judicial circuits, the chief judges of those circuits, acting jointly by majority vote.

The chief judge of the judicial circuit that employs a public employee who is a court reporter, as defined in this Act, has the authority to hire, appoint, promote, evaluate, discipline, and discharge court reporters within that judicial circuit.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/2) (from Ch. 37, par. 652)

Sec. 2. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Court Reporters Act.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 2616.)

(705 ILCS 70/3) (from Ch. 37, par. 653)

Sec. 3. Number; determination and certification. The number of full-time and part-time court reporters that may be appointed in each circuit shall be determined by the employer representative. In determining how many court reporters are needed in each circuit the employer representative shall consider the following factors:

(1) case loads in the circuit;

(2) the number of associate judges and circuit judges in the circuit;

(3) (blank);

(4) (blank);

(5) (blank);

(6) (blank);

(7) (blank); and

(8) any other factor deemed relevant by the employer representative.

The employer representative may, as the need arises, increase or lower the number of such court reporters so authorized.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/4) (from Ch. 37, par. 654)

Sec. 4. Appointment; oath. The chief judge may appoint all or any of the number of court reporters authorized by Section 3 of this Act. The court reporters so appointed shall serve at the direction of the chief judge and may be removed by the chief judge.

Each court reporter appointed shall, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, take the official oath to faithfully discharge the duties of his or her office to the best of his or her knowledge and ability.

The appointments shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the circuit in which the court reporters are employed and shall continue in force until revoked by the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/4.1) (from Ch. 37, par. 654.1)

Sec. 4.1. Appointment and salary of administrative personnel.

(a) The employer representative may authorize the chief judge of any circuit to appoint administrative, supervisory, and clerical staff when a need for such positions has been substantiated, except that in Cook County, supervisory and administrative personnel shall be appointed from among the court reporting services' pool of employees when such a need has been substantiated.

(b) Administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid by the State.

(1) In addition to their regular salary as official court reporters, the administrative personnel appointed under this Section shall be paid such additional sums as the employer representative specifies. Such sums shall be included in the pay schedule adopted pursuant to Section 8. The additional amounts paid shall reflect the burden of administrative responsibility borne by the administrative personnel and the consequent lack of opportunity to produce transcripts of testimony. The additional amounts paid to such personnel shall be determined by the employer representative.

(2) Each of the administrative, supervisory, and other support staff authorized under this Section shall be paid a salary as determined per year by the employer representative.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/5) (from Ch. 37, par. 655)

Sec. 5. Means of reporting; transcripts. The court reporter shall make a full reporting by means of stenographic notes of the evidence and such other proceedings in trials and judicial proceedings to which he or she is assigned by the chief judge, and the court reporter may use an electronic instrument as a supplementary device. In the event that the court utilizes an audio or video recording system approved by the Supreme Court to record the proceedings, a court reporting services employee shall be in charge of such system. To the extent that it does not substantially interfere with the court reporter's other official duties, a reporter may be assigned to secretarial or clerical duties arising out of official court operations.

A court reporting services employee may charge a page rate for the preparation of transcripts of court proceedings not to exceed the rate set by the employer representative in the Uniform Schedule of Charges for Transcripts.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/6) (from Ch. 37, par. 656)

Sec. 6. Assignment to serve outside of county of appointment; travel expenses.

The chief judge may assign a court reporter to serve anywhere within the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed. A court reporter shall be paid travel expenses incurred in connection with his or her official duties in his or her circuit of appointment outside the county wherein he or she resides. Subject to regulations which may be adopted by the employer representative, court reporters shall be allowed travel expenses when traveling within their county of residence in connection with their official duties.

The employer representative may assign a court reporter to temporary service outside his or her own circuit, but within the jurisdiction of the employer representative, with the consent of the chief judge. A court reporter shall be paid travel expenses incurred in connection with his or her official duties during such periods of temporary assignment.

Expense vouchers shall be submitted to the employer representative for approval. The expense vouchers or claims submitted to the Office of the Comptroller for payment shall have the signed approval of the chief judge of the circuit in which the court reporter is appointed.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/7) (from Ch. 37, par. 657)

Sec. 7. Proficiency tests. Each court reporter may be required by the chief judge to take a test to verify his or her proficiency within one year of employment. The test shall be prepared and administered by the employer representative in consultation with each of the other employer representatives pursuant to standards set by rules. A proficiency test passed prior to employment may be accepted by the chief judge as proof of proficiency.

(Source: P.A. 103-597, eff. 7-1-24.)

(705 ILCS 70/8) (from Ch. 37, par. 658)

Sec. 8. Salaries.

(a) The salaries of all court reporters shall be paid by the State. The salary of each individual court reporter shall be computed from a schedule adopted by the employer representative. The salary schedule shall reflect the following relevant factors: (1) proficiency rating; (2) experience; (3) population of the area to which a reporter is normally assigned; (3-1) court reporters shall receive the same annual percentage salary increase as provided to other State-paid non-judicial employees of the Judicial Branch with equivalent salaries, except that notwithstanding any other provision of law, salaries of full time court reporters shall be increased by at least a percentage increase equivalent to that of the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, by Occupation and Industry Groups, State and Local Government Workers Public Administration", as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be added to the then current annual salary and the adjusted salary so determined shall be the annual salary beginning July 1 of the increase year until July 1 of the next year; (4) other factors considered relevant by the employer representative.

(b) (Blank).

(c) (Blank).

(d) (Blank).

(e) The salaries of all official court reporters employed by the State shall be paid semi-monthly, from moneys appropriated to the Comptroller for that purpose, on the voucher of the chief judge of the circuit employing the court reporters. The Comptroller may require all salary claims by part-time reporters to be substantiated by certificates signed by the reporter and approved by the chief judge of the circuit.

(f) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.1)

Sec. 8.1. Appropriation request. Each employer representative shall make an annual appropriation request to the General Assembly to fund court reporters. When necessary, an employer representative may request supplemental appropriations to fund court reporters.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.2)

Sec. 8.2. Collective bargaining. The employer representatives shall collectively bargain over wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment of persons employed as court reporting services employees in this State if so agreed upon by a majority vote of the employees within each employer group. The employer representative shall recognize an exclusive bargaining representative of persons employed as court reporting services employees in this State, if that representative makes a showing, through an election or otherwise, that it represents a majority of the court reporters within the employer group, in accordance with procedures for verifying majority status.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/8.5)

Sec. 8.5. Advisory arbitration for collective bargaining.

(a) All matters concerning wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment of court reporters are subject to advisory, non-binding arbitration.

(b) Any party to a collective bargaining agreement with the exclusive bargaining representative chosen under Section 8.2 may request that any matter concerning wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employment of court reporters shall be submitted to advisory, non-binding arbitration and that the employer representative shall appoint arbitrators. Upon receiving such a request, the employer representative shall appoint a panel of one or more arbitrators and submit the matter to the panel for advisory, non-binding arbitration. The employer representative shall consult with the parties in determining acceptable arbitrators.

(c) Arbitrators appointed by the employer representative under this Section are entitled to compensation and to reimbursement for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their duties, as provided by rules adopted by the employer representative. Arbitrators' compensation and reimbursement shall be paid from moneys appropriated for that purpose.

(d) The employer representative shall create a roster of arbitrators who are available and qualified for appointment under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 101-581, eff. 1-1-20.)

(705 ILCS 70/9) (from Ch. 37, par. 659)

Sec. 9. The following acts are repealed: "An Act to authorize the judges of Circuit, Superior, City and Town courts to appoint shorthand reporters and to provide for their duties and compensation", filed July 20, 1927, as amended; "An Act to provide for the payment of travel expenses of official shorthand reporters of Circuit courts", approved July 15, 1953, as amended; "An Act to authorize the judge of the Probate Court in any county of more than 70,000 and less than 500,000 inhabitants to appoint a shorthand reporter for the taking and preservation of evidence, and fixing the compensation to be paid therefor", approved June 28, 1919, as amended; "An Act authorizing chief circuit judges to appoint reporters for the taking and preservation of evidence and to provide for the compensation of such reporters", approved May 14, 1903, as amended.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 2616.)