Through its ongoing legislative monitoring effort, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Government Relations Department learned of a potential issue of interest to the court reporting, professional captioning, and legal videography communities in Michigan. On June 20 the Michigan Legislature saw the introduction of Senate Bill No. 936 by Senator Jeff Irwin which was subsequently referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. Seeking to amend Section 1491 of the Revised Judicature Act of 1961, three changes are being sought regarding the charges associated with certain aspects of transcript production as well as additional revisions to charges. The Michigan Senate is adjourned until July 30, so no updates will be available until then.
In cooperation with the Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters, NCRA is monitoring this proposed legislation and working to coordinate any grassroots mobilization effort should the need arise. This is due to the possibility of further regulation being introduced to the production of transcripts.
A dedicated inbox, NCRAGR@ncra.org, has been established for members to submit their questions, comments, or concerns that will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Additionally, NCRA members are encouraged to use the hashtag #NCRAGR when organizing on social media.