262                                 Laws of Maryland                          [Ch. 58

7.

(a)    The Judges of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland shall
appoint one or more official court reporters for the circuit courts of
Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's Counties, respec-
tively. These reporters each shall be expert stenographers or otherwise
competent to record court proceedings. Each shall hold office during
the pleasure of the judges of [said] the respective courts. The court
reporters or stenographers in Prince George's County shall be paid
a per diem or annual salary to be fixed by the county [commissioners]
council after consultation with the county administrative judge; and
the court stenographers for Calvert and St. Mary's Counties shall be
paid a per diem or annual salary to be fixed by the county commis-
sioners after consultation with the county administrative judge. Each
such court stenographer or reporter shall be paid [such] expenses
as may be approved by the court payable by the County Treasurer
or similar officer of the county in the circuit court of which [such]
the services shall have been rendered, as a part of the court's ex-
penses, upon the presentation of a certificate of the clerk or any of
the judges of [said] the court showing attendance and services of
[said] the reporter. However, in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties
the court reporter or stenographer [shall] may be paid mileage at the
rate of ten cents per mile for all necessary travel between his home
and the place of executing his duties [as such; and the court report-
ers or stenographers in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties after having
served at least two years in such position shall be granted two weeks
vacation with pay which shall be computed from the weekly average
per diem compensation during the year].

(b)  In addition to the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Judge
of the Seventh Judicial Circuit resident in St. Mary's County is
authorized to appoint an official court reporter for the circuit court
for St. Mary's County at a salary to be fixed by the County Com-
missioners of St. Mary's County on the recommendation of the Resi-
dent Judge of the County. The County Commissioners shall be re-
sponsible for a sum equal to the full salary of the court reporter.

(c)  Court reporters shall attend and take full stenographic notes
of, or otherwise record, all oral testimony and judicial opinions in all
proceedings in the courts at such times and in such cases as the
respective courts may direct. The reporters shall make and furnish to
any party, upon request, a typewritten transcript of any part of their
notes, upon payment by the party of the expenses incident to the
transcript at a rate to be fixed by the court.

(d)   The court may, in any case pending in any of the courts direct
the reporters to transcribe the notes taken with respect to the case,
and the cost thereof at the rates fixed by the court shall be taxed as a
part of the cost in the case, or if the court shall so direct, be paid as
a part of the court expenses.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby declared
to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immediate preser-
vation of the public health and safety and having been passed by a
yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of all the members elected
to each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, the same shall
take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 11, 1972.