---
type: "Bill"
title: "Court reporters; duties and salaries; remote availability; transcripts; certifications; continuing education; shorthand reporter examinations; methods; effective date; emergency."
description: "Court reporters; duties and salaries; remote availability; transcripts; certifications; continuing education; shorthand reporter examinations; methods; effective date; emergency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ok"
legislature: "Oklahoma Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 3970"
citation: "Oklahoma HB 3970 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Caldwell (Trey)", "Hall"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 29
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2026-02-02"
last_action: "2026-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d94a2303-eca8-4c4d-a9d4-71ac71554cf6"
source_url: "http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB3970&session=2600"
source_hash: "e41a76f55f135e7c71f58b0ef85380e4d69988d75b0b9f66f2240efbb94ed734"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ok"]
---

# Oklahoma HB 3970 (2026) — Court reporters; duties and salaries; remote availability; transcripts; certifications; continuing education; shorthand reporter examinations; methods; effective date; emergency.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 INT/hB/HB3970 INT.PDF)
2. **Amended And Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 AMENDMENTS/Amendment and Engr/HB3970 SAHB AND ENGR.PDF)
3. **Committee Amendment 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS/Senate/HB3970 CA1.PDF)
4. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 ENGR/hB/HB3970 ENGR.PDF)
5. **Enrolled (final version)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 ENR/hB/HB3970 ENR.PDF)
6. **Floor (House)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 FLR/HFLR/HB3970 HFLR.PDF)
7. **Floor (Senate)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 FLR/SFLR/HB3970 SFLR.PDF)
8. **HB3970 (4-23-26) (HALL) FS FA1.PDF** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 FLOOR AMENDMENTS/Senate/HB3970 (4-23-26) (HALL) FS FA1.PDF)
9. **House Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26 COMMITTEE SUBS/HCS/HB3970 CS.PDF)

## Votes

- Judiciary — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- Fourth Reading — **85–0** (pass) · lower
- Appropriations And Budget Committee: Do Pass As Amended By Cs — **30–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **47–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **89–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Caldwell (Trey) — primary (person)
- Hall — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-02-02** First Reading `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-02-02** Authored by Representative Caldwell (Trey)
- **2026-02-03** Second Reading referred to Appropriations and Budget `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-19** CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Appropriations and Budget Committee `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-19** Authored by Senator Hall (principal Senate author)
- **2026-02-19** Emergency removed
- **2026-03-11** General Order
- **2026-03-11** Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 89 Nays: 0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-11** Referred for engrossment
- **2026-03-12** Engrossed, signed, to Senate `passage`
- **2026-03-12** First Reading `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-04-01** Second Reading referred to Judiciary Committee then to Appropriations Committee `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2026-04-07** Reported Do Pass as amended Judiciary committee; CR filed `committee-passage`
- **2026-04-07** Emergency added
- **2026-04-07** Referred to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-13** Withdrawn from Appropriations committee
- **2026-04-13** Placed on General Order
- **2026-04-27** General Order, Amended by Floor Substitute
- **2026-04-27** Measure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 47 Nays: 0 `passage`
- **2026-04-27** Referred for engrossment
- **2026-04-28** Engrossed to House `passage`
- **2026-04-28** SA's received
- **2026-05-06** SA's read, adopted
- **2026-05-06** Fourth Reading, Measure and Emergency Passed: Ayes: 85 Nays: 0 `passage`
- **2026-05-06** Referred for enrollment
- **2026-05-06** Enrolled, signed, to Senate
- **2026-05-06** Enrolled measure signed, returned to House
- **2026-05-06** Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-12** Approved by Governor 05/12/2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d94a2303-eca8-4c4d-a9d4-71ac71554cf6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Oklahoma legislature records).