Existing law sets forth the Nevada Certified Court Reporters' and Licensed Court Reporting Firms' Law, which provides for the certification and regulation of certified court reporters and the licensure and regulation of court reporting firms by the Certified Court Reporters' Board of Nevada. (Chapter 656 of NRS) Existing law prohibits a person from engaging in the practice of court reporting without a valid certificate of registration as a certified court reporter. (NRS 656.145, 656.300) Sections 3, 5-10 and 12-15 of this bill provide for the certification and regulation by the Board of persons engaged in the recording of certain proceedings by the use of video cameras or any system of recording simultaneous audio and video. Section 5 expands the definitions of: (1) “certificate” to mean a certificate of registration as a court reporter or a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder; (2) “certified court reporter” to mean a person who holds a certificate of registration as a court reporter or a certificate as a legal video recorder; and (3) “practice of court reporting” to include video recording in this State certain proceedings, by the use of video cameras or any system of recording simultaneous audio and video. As such, under section 5, a person who engages in the video recording of certain proceedings by the use of video cameras or any system of recording simultaneous audio and video is engaged in the practice of court reporting and is prohibited from doing so without a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder issued by the Board. If such a person obtains such a certificate, under section 5, the person would constitute a certified court reporter. Existing law prohibits a person from conducting business as a court reporting firm without a license issued by the Board. (NRS 656.185) Existing law defines “court reporting firm” to mean, in general, a business that provides or arranges for the services of a certified court reporter or provides referral services for certified court reporters. (NRS 656.030) Because a person who engages in the video recording of certain proceedings and has obtained a certificate or registration as a legal video recorder constitutes a certified court reporter, under section 5, a person is prohibited from providing or arranging services for such video recording or providing referral services for a person who engages in such video recording. Sections 6 and 11 of this bill revise provisions relating to engaging in the practice of court reporting or conducting business as a court reporting firm without a certificate of registration or license issued by the Board, as applicable, to reflect the changes in section 5, which provide that a certified court reporter includes a person who has obtained a certificate of registration as a court reporter or a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder. Existing law authorizes certain courts and magistrates to designate a person who is not a certified court reporter to operate sound recording equipment to record certain proceedings. (NRS 3.380, 4.400, 171.198) Section 2 of this bill exempts such a person from the provisions of the Nevada Certified Court Reporters' and Licensed Court Reporting Firms' Law. Section 3 prohibits a person who holds a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder from recording certain proceedings unless another person who holds a certificate of registration as a court reporter is present. Section 3 also prohibits a person who holds only a certificate of registration: (1) as a legal video recorder from engaging in the practices of a person who holds a certificate of registration as a court reporter; and (2) as a court reporter from engaging in the practices of a person who holds a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder. Finally, section 3 prohibits a person who holds both a certificate of registration as a court reporter and a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder from performing both functions simultaneously during the same proceeding. Section 13: (1) authorizes a person who holds a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder to use the title of “certified court reporter-legal video recorder” and the abbreviation “C.C.R.-L.V.R.”; (2) prohibits a person who holds a certificate as a legal video recorder from using any other title or abbreviation applicable to a person who holds a certificate of registration as a court reporter, unless the person also holds another applicable certificate; and (3) prohibits any other person from using the title or abbreviation of a legal video reporter in connection with his or her profession or business, unless the person holds such a certificate of registration. Section 4 of this bill authorizes a person who is not a party to certain civil proceedings to request a copy of a transcript or video record media of the proceeding from a certified court reporter or court reporting firm with possession of the transcript or video record media. Upon receipt of such a request, section 4 requires the certified court reporter or court reporting firm to notify the parties to the proceeding or their attorneys of: (1) the request; and (2) the name of the third-party requester. If the request is for a transcript or video record media of the testimony of an expert witness, unless a court order prohibits provision of the transcript or record, section 4 requires the court reporter or court reporting firm to provide the transcript or video record media to the third-party requester not later than 60 days after providing notice of the request and upon receipt of a reasonable fee prescribed by the court reporter or firm. If the request is for a transcript or video record media of the proceeding other than the testimony of an expert witness, section 4 authorizes any party to the proceeding to object to the provision of the transcript or video record media by providing written notice to the court reporter or court reporting firm, the parties to the proceeding or their attorneys and the third-party requester. If a party so objects, section 4 prohibits the court reporter or court reporting firm providing the requested transcript or video record media unless: (1) a court order authorizes provision of the transcript or video record media; and (2) the third-party requester pays a reasonable fee prescribed by the court reporter or firm. Existing law requires an applicant for a certificate of registration as a certified court reporter to take an examination administered by the Board. (NRS 656.160) Sections 7 and 8: (1) require an applicant for a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder to pass an examination administered by the Board and pay certain fees; and (2) establish certain requirements relating to such an examination. Section 9 revises the requirements for a person to be admitted to take an examination. Section 10 sets forth the circumstances under which an applicant is entitled to a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder. Section 12 sets forth circumstances under which the Board is authorized to refuse to issue, suspend or revoke a certificate of registration as a legal video recorder. Sections 14 and 15 set forth certain requirements and restrictions relating to the retention and alteration of video record media by a person who holds a certificate as a legal video recorder. Existing law sets forth the compensation that must be paid for various services provided by the official reporter or reporter pro tempore in a state district court. (NRS 3.370) Section 16 of this bill increases the compensation that must be paid to such court reporters for certain transcription and reporting services. Section 17 of this bill authorizes a person or business who, on or before December 31, 2025, is engaged in the video recording of certain proceedings by the use of video cameras or any system of recording simultaneous audio and video or is providing certain referral services relating to such video recording without obtaining a certificate of registration or license, as applicable to continue to engage in such activities until July 1, 2026, or such other date as the Board may prescribe by regulation.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 656.030, 656.145, 656.150, 656.160, 656.170, 656.180, 656.185, 656.250, 656.310, 656.335, 656.345, 3.370
BDR: 656.030, 656.145, 656.150, 656.160, 656.170, 656.180, 656.185, 656.250, 656.310, 656.335, 656.345, 3.370