2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 37:2554 — Qualifications; examinations; certificates

§2554.  Qualifications; examinations; certificates

A.  The board shall determine the qualifications of persons applying for examination under this Chapter, make rules for the examination of applicants and for the issuance and maintenance of certificates herein provided for which shall be subject to legislative oversight review pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, and shall grant certificates to such applicants as may, upon examination, be qualified in professional shorthand reporting and in such other subjects as the board may deem advisable.

B.  The board may, at its discretion, waive regular examination of any person duly holding a comparable C.S.R. certificate from another state and desiring to move to Louisiana as a verbatim reporter.

C.  A certificate holder shall be restricted from changing from the system of reporting under which the certificate holder was certified to any other shorthand system as defined in R.S. 37:2555, until the certificate holder has been certified by the board under a different system of reporting.  Violation of this restriction may result in the suspension or revocation of a certificate.

D.  The board shall in no way restrict the use of electronic equipment to certificate holders hereunder in the performance of their duties, but shall exclude the use of all electronic recording equipment, except stenomask, to all applicants at the time and place of examination.

E.  Every certificate holder hereunder shall be deemed a certified court reporter, entitled to use the abbreviation "C.C.R." after his name, and at his expense shall receive from the board, and may keep while his certificate remains in effect, a metal seal imprinting his name and "Certified Court Reporter of the State of Louisiana".  Such certificate and seal shall authorize the holder thereof to issue affidavits with respect to his regular duties, to subpoena witnesses for depositions, to administer oaths and affirmations, and to take depositions, sworn statements, and related hearings.

F.  The board shall promulgate by rule a procedure to convert to the certified court reporter, or C.C.R., certificate, all certificates previously issued by the board, including the certified shorthand reporter, or C.S.R., and the certified general reporter, or C.G.R., certificates, which remain in effect subject to the regulatory authority of the board pending conversion. The board may also establish by rule appropriate designations by which the various capabilities of certified court reporters may be identified, including the system of shorthand reporting under which a certificate holder is certified, the means by which a certificate was obtained, and other criteria by which the public may be better informed in contracting for shorthand reporting services.

G.  The maintenance and continued validity of any license issued by the board as provided for in this Chapter shall be dependent upon the satisfactory performance and completion by a certified court reporter of those continuing education requirements as established by the board, subject to legislative oversight pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.

H.  REPEALED BY ACTS 1993, NO. 908, §2, EFF. JUNE 23, 1993.

I.  REPEALED BY ACTS 1993, NO. 908, §2, EFF. JUNE 23, 1993.

J.(1)  The board shall contract with a third party for the preparation and grading of the examination required in this Section.

(2)  Each school which provides programs in court reporting shall annually report to the board and to the Senate Committee on Judiciary B and the House Committee on the Judiciary the number of program completers, the number of such completers who sit for the examination, and the number of examination takers who successfully pass the test.

Acts 1970, No. 456, §1; Acts 1975, No. 110, §1; Acts 1976, No. 388, §1; Acts 1976, No. 645, §1; Acts 1983, No. 612, §1; Acts 1986, No. 365, §§1, 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1987; Acts 1990, No. 286, §1; Acts 1990, No. 940, §1, eff. July 25, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 1021, §1, eff. July 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 840, §1; Acts 1993, No. 908, §§1, 2, eff. June 23, 1993.

{{NOTE:   SEE ACTS 1986, NO. 365, §4.}}