ABCR
Meeting Minutes
August 14, 2009
The Alabama Board of Court Reporting met on Friday, August
14, 2009, in Montgomery at the Board office for the purpose
of conducting Board business. Those present were as follows:
Aubrey Ford Jr., Chair; Suzanne Frazier, Vice-Chair; Laura
Nichols, Member; Bill Dawson, Member; Sabrina Lewis, Member;
and Kent Garrett, Member. Deanna Johnson was not present.
Also present were Paula Scout McCaleb, Executive Director;
Bettie Carmack, Assistant Attorney General; and Brandy L.
Vanorden, Licensing Agent.
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. with a quorum
present in the following: Aubrey Ford Jr., Suzanne Frazier,
Bill Dawson, Kent Garrett, Sabrina Lewis and Laura Nichols.
This meeting was advertised on the Secretary of State’s web
site and the Board web site, in accordance with the Open
Meetings Act.
Laura Nichols made a motion to approve the Minutes from
November 14, 2008, as presented. The motion was seconded by
Suzanne Frazier and unanimously approved by the Board.
Laura Nichols made a motion to nominate Judge Ford as Chair.
The motion was seconded by Kent Garrett and unanimously
passed by the Board.
Laura Nichols made a motion to nominate Suzanne Frazier as
Vice Chair. The motion was seconded by Kent Garrett and was
unanimously approved by the Board.
Laura Nichols made a motion to nominate Sabrina Lewis as
Secretary. The motion was seconded by Kent Garrett and was
unanimously approved by the Board.
Suzanne Frazier made a motion to accept ACRA’s proposal to
give the Licensure exam for Court Reporters. The motion was
seconded by Sabrina Lewis and was unanimously approved by
the Board.
Kent Garrett made a motion to have a committee consisting
of: Laura Nichols, Suzanne Frazier, and Sabrina Lewis to
serve as a liaison with any questions that may arise in
regards to ACRA giving the Alabama Skills examination. The
motion was seconded by Bill Dawson and was unanimously
approved by the Board.
Laura Nichols made a motion to accept Carla Woodall’s
request for waiver of CEU requirements. The motion was
seconded by Bill Dawson and was unanimously approved by the
Board.
Kent Garrett made a motion to accept the Rule Changes as
follows:
257-X-2-.04 Fees
1) Fees and fines are not refundable.
2) Fees are payable by certified check, cashier’s check,
corporate or business check, or money order or personal
check.
a) Counter checks are not an acceptable method of payment.
Personal checks shall be imprinted with the name, address,
and account number of the applicant or licensee.
b) Personal checks by third parties are not acceptable.
c) Applicants or licensees who submit personal checks
returned due to insufficient funds may be prohibited from
paying any future fees or fines by personal check.
d) Statutory charges for returned checks shall be paid by
the applicant or licensee within ten business days from
receipt of notice to remit full payment pursuant to Ala.
Code § 13A-9-13.1 (b) (2) and pay the maximum fee allowed by
Ala. Code § 8-8-15.
257-X-.3-.04 Reciprocity
The board shall enter into reciprocal agreements with any
state, agency, or other entity that licenses, certifies, or
registers court reporters (NCRA, NVRA, or both) that has
substantially equal or higher requirements. Non-Resident
licenses may be issued upon the finding that the applicant
is a competent license court reporter in another state.
1) An applicant who is licensed under the laws of another
jurisdiction shall file an application with the Board,
together with a certification from the licensing authority
of the jurisdiction stating:
a) The time during which the applicant was licensed in that
jurisdiction;
b) Whether the file on the applicant contains any record of
any disciplinary actions taken or pending;
c) A brief description of the examination taken and the
grades received. The brief description shall include the
speeds of dictation, the percentage of accuracy to pass and
the contents of the written knowledge test.
d) A copy of the Act and Rules and Regulations from the
state of original licensure which were in effect at the time
of licensure.
257-X-3-.054 Traditional Application for Licensure
(1) Proof of graduation from an accredited high school or
its equivalent;
(2) Pass the Licensure Examination;
(3) Complete application and appropriate fees.
257-X-3-.065 Examination
Applicants for licensure, must pass the Written Knowledge
Examination administered by NCRA and provide documentation
of having passed the NCRA Registered Professional Reporter
Examination (RPR),
or NVRA CRA Examination,
or Alabama
Skills Examination administered by ACRA.
257-X-3-.076 Renewal
(a) Every Court Reporter License in Alabama shall expire on
September 30th of each year. The holder of the license may
renew such license during the 60 days preceding the
expiration date thereof by paying the required fee and
completion of the application for renewal.
(b) It is the responsibility of each licensee to notify the
Board of any change of address within 30 days. Failure to
receive a renewal form from the Board shall not constitute
an excuse for failure to renew licensure.
(c) Late Renewals may be received up to 60 days following
expiration of license with the required late renewal fee and
application for renewal.
257-X-6-.01 Continuing Education Requirements
1) Beginning with the September 30, 2008 renewal and every
renewal thereafter, every licensee who applies for renewal
of a license shall complete during the preceding thirty six
(36) months five (15) hours of continuing education (CE)
relevant to the practice of court reporting.
Additional CE
Hours obtained, may be rolled over to the next renewal up to
thirty six (36) months.
257-X-6-.02 How to Acquire CE Credit
(1) CE hours may be earned from:
a) Verified attendance at or participation in a program,
activity or course through the National Court Reporters
Association or ACRA.
b) Verified attendance (e.g. license of attendance or
license of completion) at or participation in a program,
activity or course (“program”) presented by a continuing
education sponsor in subsection (c) below,
c) Verified attendance at a program that is of general
information value to court reporters but does not directly
relate to the reporter’s ability to produce an accurate and
timely transcript. A maximum of 7.5 (seven and one half)
2.5
(two and one half) hours credit may be counted during a
prerenewal period for such programs, which include:
i.) Professionalism, including knowledge and application of
standards of professional responsibility, impartiality,
public relations, attire; and
ii.) Office procedures, record-keeping, health, including a
reporter’s approach to personal tax management, planning for
retirement or changing careers within reporting, maintaining
the individual reporter’s health and emotional adjustment,
ability to listen, to concentrate, to communicate, to cope.
d) Verified personal preparation of educational
presentations pertaining to the profession of court
reporting and serving as an instructor, speaker or panel
member at an approved course will be allowed as CE credit
for actual presentation time, plus actual preparation time
of up to 2 hours of each hour of presentation. Credits for
preparation time shall not be allowed for repetitious
presentations. No more than 5 hours of credit can be earned
under this category in any one renewal period.
e) Writing articles to the profession of court reporting and
published in a state or nationally recognized professional
journal of court reporting or law. No more than
53 hours of
credit can be earned under this category in any one renewal
period. Credits will not be allowed for the same article
published in more than one publication.
2) Courses completed that are a part of the curriculum of a
university, college or other education institution. One
semester of course work is equivalent to
10 5 hours of CE
and one quarter of course work is equivalent to
5 2.5
hours
of CE.
The motion was seconded by Suzanne Frazier and was
unanimously approved by the Board.
The time being 12:11 p.m. and there being no further Board
business, the meeting was adjourned. The Chair announced
that the next meeting of the Board was scheduled for
November 13, 2009.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________________
Aubrey Judge Ford Jr., Chair
___________________________________
Suzanne Frazier, Vice-Chair¬¬¬
____________________________________
Paula McCaleb, Executive Director
____________________________________
Brandy L. Vanorden, Recording Secretary
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