SB 413 - This act modifies and establishes provisions relating to court reporters. Specifically, any person who undertakes court reporting for payment without first having procured a license from the Board of Certified Court Reporter Examiners ("Board"), knowingly presents or files false information with the Board to obtain a license, or violates this act shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. An unlicensed person shall not bring or maintain an action to recover fees for court reporting services. Additionally, a person shall not assume or use the title or designation "court reporter," "court recorder," or "shorthand reporter," or any other indication that the person is a court reporter, court recorder, or shorthand reporter, unless the person is a certified court reporter by the Board.
Any certified court reporter who knowingly signs and affixes his or her signature and license number to a transcript for which he or she was not personally present and did not personally report the proceedings is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
The provisions of this act are also applicable to a court reporting firm and the court may enforce this act by assessing a reasonable fee against a court reporting firm. Additionally, this act shall not apply to court reporting services performed outside of Missouri by a foreign court reporter not certified in Missouri for use in a court proceeding in Missouri, if the work resulting from those services is produced and billed wholly outside of Missouri.
Furthermore, a certified court reporter or court reporting firm shall not enter into or provide services under any contractual agreement that:
(1) Undermines the certified court reporter's impartiality or that may result in the appearance that the certified court reporter's impartiality has been compromised;
(2) Requires a certified court reporter to provide any service not made available to all parties;
(3) Gives or appears to give an exclusive advantage to any party;
(4) Restricts an attorney's choice in the selection of a certified court reporter or court reporting firm, unless the contract is for a Missouri court or agency; or
(5) Specifies fixed prices to perform court reporting services in two or more actions or for future court reporting services, unless the contract is for a Missouri court or agency.
Additionally, this act modifies provisions relating to deposition or examination testimony taken by a certified court reporter rather than by an authorized officer. This act repeals the provision regarding the requirement that officers sign and state on the record the reasoning for a deposition not signed by the witness and the use of such deposition as signed. This act also repeals the cost and expense limitation of a certified court reporter based on the availability of stenographers or shorthand reporters in the area where the deposition is taken.
This act is identical to HB 423 (2025) and HB 615 (2025).
KATIE O'BRIEN