Private Acts of 1929 Chapter 749

SECTION 1. That the Judges of the Circuit, Chancery and Criminal Courts of the Counties, coming within the provisions of this Act, shall appoint a State Board of Shorthand Reporting, consisting of three persons, citizens of Tennessee, each of whom shall be skilled in the art and practice of shorthand reporting and shall have been actively and continuously engaged as a professional shorthand reporter within the State of Tennessee for at least five years next preceding his appointment, and who shall serve without compensation, except as hereinafter provided.

Said Board shall be so appointed within thirty days after the taking effect of this Act, one for the term of one year, one for the term of two years, and one for the term of three years, who shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified.

After the 31st day of December, 1929, the members of said board shall be appointed from among the holders of certificates and licenses issued under this Act.

A vacancy in said board shall be filled by the Judges of the Circuit, Chancery and Criminal Courts of the Counties, coming within the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 2. That the State Board of Shorthand Reporting shall organize by the election of one of its members as Chairman and one as Secretary and Treasurer, who shall hold their respective offices for one year.

The Board shall hold regular meetings for the examination of applicants for certificates and licenses under this Act beginning on the third Monday of June and December of each year, and additional meetings at such times and places as it shall determine, not to exceed one every three months. The December meeting shall be held in the City of Memphis.

A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum, but a less number may adjourn from time to time.

The board shall make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act; provided, however, that it shall require the concurrence of a majority of the members of the board to grant a certificate and license.

SECTION 3. That before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his office, the Secretary and Treasurer of the board shall give a bond to the State, to be approved by the board, in such sum as the board directs, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. The premium for such bond shall be paid from the funds paid into the General Funds of the Counties, coming within the provisions of this Act, by the Secretary and Treasurer of the board. Such bond with the approval of the board and oath of office endorsed thereon shall be deposited with the County Court Clerk of the Counties, coming under the provisions of this Act, and kept in his office.

Each month the moneys received by the Secretary and Treasurer shall be paid by him into the General Funds of the Counties, coming within the provisions of this Act, to the credit of a fund for the use of the State Board of Shorthand Reporting.

SECTION 4. That each member of the State Board of Shorthand Reporting shall receive ten dollars for each day actually employed in the discharge of his official duties and his necessary expenses incurred.

The compensation and expenses of the members of the board and the expenses of the board necessary in carrying out the provisions of this Act shall be paid from the fund in the General Funds of the Counties, coming under the provisions of this Act for the use of the board on the requisition signed by the Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the board on warrant of the Chairman of the County Court of the Counties, coming under the provisions of this Act, provided, however, that said compensation and expenses shall not exceed the amount paid into the General Fund of the Counties, coming under the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. That the words "Certified Shorthand Reporter" as used in this Act shall be defined to mean a person who has been adjudged by the State Board of Shorthand Reporting to be competent to report court proceedings, references, commissions, conventions, deliberative assemblies or meetings of like character.

SECTION 6. That a citizen of the United States, or a person who has duly declared his intention to become such citizen, not less than twenty-one years of age, of good moral character, a graduate of a high school, or having received an equivalent education, and who has passed a satisfactory examination, as hereinafter provided, shall be entitled to a certificate and license and shall be styled and known as a "Certified Shorthand Reporter." No other person shall assume such title or use the abbreviation, "C.S.R." or other words of letters to indicate that he is a Certified Shorthand Reporter.

SECTION 7. That each person desiring to be registered as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, as provided in this Act, shall file with the Secretary of said board, upon a proper blank to be furnished by said Secretary, an application, verified by oath, setting forth the facts which entitled the applicant to examination and registration under the provisions of this Act.

At the time of filing the application for such examination, each applicant shall pay to the Treasurer of the board a fee of Fifteen Dollars. Such fee shall not be refunded, but in case of failure at any examination the applicant, after the expiration of six months and within two years, shall have the privilege of a second examination by the board without the payment of an additional fee.

Each applicant shall appear before the board at its first meeting after the filing of his application and pass a satisfactory examination consisting of practical demonstrations and written or oral tests, or both, in shorthand reporting.

Each applicant who shall pass said examination and who shall otherwise comply with the provisions of this Act shall receive a certificate and license as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, and such person may thereafter practice as a Certified Shorthand Reporter and assume and use the name, title and style of "Certified Shorthand Reporter" or an abbreviation or abbreviations thereof, and such certificate and license shall be duly registered in a record book to be properly kept by the Secretary and Treasurer of the board for that purpose.

SECTION 8. That for the purposes of this Act the practice of shorthand reporting is the making, or the attempted making, of a verbatim record, by means of a system of symbols, or abbreviations, of any judicial proceeding, including any record which is intended to be used in any judicial proceeding.

SECTION 9. That no person shall engage in the practice of shorthand reporting in any county of this State to which this Act shall apply, or hold himself out as a shorthand reporter therein, unless he has first obtained a certificate and license from the State Board of Shorthand Reporting, as provided in this Act.

SECTION 10. That any person who shall, within one year after the organization of the board, submit to said board satisfactory evidence as to his character, competency and qualifications, and that he has been actively engaged in the practice of shorthand reporting for more than three years next preceding the date of the passage of this Act, may, in the discretion of the said board, receive a certificate and license entitling him to practice as a Certified Shorthand Reporter.

At the time of filing his application for license, the applicant shall pay to the Treasurer of the board a fee of Five Dollars.

SECTION 11. That whoever represents himself as having received a license as provided in this Act, or practices as a shorthand reporter, or uses words or letters to indicate that the person using the same is qualified to practice in this State as a Shorthand Reporter, without having received such license as provided for in this Act, or whoever represents himself as having received a certificate and license as provided in this Act, or practices as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, or uses the abbreviation “C.S.R.,” or any similar words or letters to indicate that the person using the same is qualified to practice in this State as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, without having received such certificate and license as provided for in this Act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less that Twenty-five Dollars and not exceeding Two Hundred Dollars for each offense.

SECTION 12. That wherever in this Act the masculine gender is used it shall be construed as comprehending also the feminine gender.

SECTION 13. That nothing in this Act shall prevent depositions and records intended to be used in a judicial proceeding pending in the courts of any county to which this Act applies from being taken by other than a Certified Shorthand Reporter when such deposition or record is taken outside of the county or counties to which this Act applies.

SECTION 14. That any person engaged in the practice of shorthand reporting as defined in this Act who is not a resident of a county to which this Act applies may be entitled to use the words "Certified Shorthand Reporter" as defined in this Act upon complying with the terms, provisions and qualification provided in this Act.

SECTION 15. That this Act shall apply only to counties of this State having a population of more than 210,000 by the Federal Census of 1920, and any subsequent Federal Census.

SECTION 16. That if any portion, section, phrase or paragraph of this Act is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, such declaration shall not affect any other portion, section, phrase or paragraph of this Act.

SECTION 17. That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed: April 11, 1929.