The proposed legislation, General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7220, aims to establish guidelines regarding the costs associated with obtaining transcripts of proceedings conducted by public agencies. Effective July 1, 2025, the bill defines key terms such as "public agency," "party," "transcript," and "transcript page." It stipulates that any recording or stenographic record of public agency proceedings must be transcribed upon request by any party, with the requesting party responsible for the associated costs. A stenographer is permitted to charge $2.40 per transcript page, but this fee can only be applied once to the requesting party.

Additionally, the bill mandates that if a public agency itself requests a transcript, it must bear the costs without seeking reimbursement from any party involved in the proceedings. This legislation is designed to clarify the financial responsibilities related to transcript requests, ensuring that public agencies do not pass on these costs to individuals or entities participating in their proceedings.