Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 230 By: Jett
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to court reporters; amending 20 O.S.
7 2021, Section 106.4, as amended by Section 1, Chapter
8 100, O.S.L. 2023 (20 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 106.4),
8 which relates to transcripts; updating statutory
9 language; eliminating charge for certain transcripts;
9 and providing an effective date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 106.4, as
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14 amended by Section 1, Chapter 100, O.S.L. 2023 (20 O.S. Supp. 2024,
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15 Section 106.4), is amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 106.4. A. 1. The court reporter shall make a full
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17 reporting by means of stenographic hand, steno-mask or machine
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18 notes, or a combination thereof, of all proceedings, including the
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19 statements of counsel and the court and the evidence, in trials and
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20 other judicial proceedings to which the court reporter is assigned
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21 by the appointing judge unless excused by the judge who is trying
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22 the case with the consent of the parties to the action. Nothing
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23 herein contained in this section shall be construed to authorize the
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24 certification of persons as certified shorthand reporters who rely
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Req. No. 1550 Page 1
1 exclusively upon the steno-mask for reporting judicial proceedings,
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2 except as provided by law. A refusal of the court to permit or to
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3 require any statement to be taken down by the court reporter or
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4 transcribed after being taken down, upon the same being shown by
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5 affidavit or other direct and competent evidence, to the Supreme
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6 Court, or other appellate court, shall constitute a denial of due
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7 process of law. The court reporter may use an electronic instrument
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8 as a supplementary device.
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9 2. In any trial, hearing or proceedings, if no court reporter
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10 is available to the assigned judge:
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11 a. the judge before whom the matter is being heard may
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12 order the proceedings electronically recorded and a
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13 trial or proceedings may proceed without the necessity
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14 of a court reporter being present. Provided that if
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15 an official transcript is ordered then it shall be
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16 prepared by the official court reporter, or
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17 b. with approval of the judge, the parties may stipulate
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18 to the use of a freelance reporter and share the cost.
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19 If ordered, the transcript shall be prepared by the
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20 approved reporter and shall be considered the official
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21 transcript for all purposes.
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22 B. Upon request of either party in a civil or criminal case,
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23 the reporter shall transcribe the proceedings in a trial or other
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24 judicial proceeding, or so much thereof as may be requested by the
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1 party, certify to the correctness of the transcript, and deliver the
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2 same in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court. The fee for
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3 A certified copy of an original transcript shall be set by the
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4 Supreme Court. Two copies of the original transcript shall be
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5 furnished by the court to all parties without additional charge.
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6 Each page shall be at least twenty-five lines to the page and typed
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7 no fewer than nine characters to the typed inch. Each page shall be
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8 no more than double spaced and the margin on the left side of the
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9 page shall be no more than one and one-half (1 1/2) inches and the
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10 margin on the right side of the page shall be no more than one-half
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11 (1/2) inch from the edge of the paper. The format for all
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12 transcripts shall be prescribed by the Supreme Court. The court
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13 reporter fees for making the transcript shall be paid in the first
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14 instance by the party requesting the transcript and shall be taxed
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15 as costs in the suit.
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16 When the judge on his or her own motion orders a transcript of
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17 the reporter's notes, the judge may direct the payment of charges
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18 and the taxation of the charges as costs in such manner as the court
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19 deems appropriate. In a criminal action, if the defendant shall
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20 present to the judge an affidavit that the defendant intends in good
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21 faith to take an appeal in the case and that a transcript of the
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22 reporter's notes is necessary to enable the defendant to prosecute
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23 the appeal, and that he or she has not the means to pay for the
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24 transcript, the court, upon finding that there is reasonable basis
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1 for the averment, shall order the transcript made at the expense of
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2 the district court fund. The format preparation, delivery and
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3 filing of transcripts to be used in civil and criminal appeals may
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4 be regulated by the Supreme Court.
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5 C. The court reporter shall file his or her records of the
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6 evidence and the proceedings taken in any case with the clerk of the
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7 court in which the case was tried.
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8 D. To the extent that it does not substantially interfere with
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9 the court reporter's other official duties, the judge by whom a
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10 reporter is employed or to whom he or she is assigned may assign a
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11 reporter to secretarial or clerical duties arising out of official
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12 court operations.
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13 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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Req. No. 1550 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.