367.9. (a) The Judicial Council shall convene a working group for the purpose of recommending a statewide framework for remote civil court proceedings that addresses equal and fair access to justice.
(b) The working group, at minimum, shall include:
(1) Judges.
(2) Court executive officers.
(3) Attorneys.
(4) Court reporters.
(5) Court interpreters.
(6) Legal aid organizations.
(7) Court-appointed dependency counsel.
(c) The working group shall consider and make recommendations in the following areas, which may differ by case type or proceeding type:
(1) Court reporter availability and future workforce.
(2) Statewide procedural and technical guidelines to ensure court users receive the best possible levels of service and access.
(3) Case types and proceeding types for which remote proceedings are appropriate.
(4) Protocols for ensuring court users fully understand their options for accessing the court remotely.
(5) Whether changes are needed to existing laws protecting the accuracy of the official verbatim record and preserving parties’ rights to appeal.
(d) The Judicial Council shall submit a report with the working group’s recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor by January 1, 2023. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2023, and as of that date is repealed.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 257, Sec. 5. (AB 177) Effective September 23, 2021. Repealed as of July 1, 2023, by its own provisions.)
Structure California Code