AB 2290
Civil discovery: oral depositions: transcriptions.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
In Floor Process
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill changes the way oral deposition transcripts are delivered in California civil court. Currently, deposition transcripts must be mailed in a sealed envelope. The bill allows attorneys to request that the deposition officer instead send a certified transcript electronically, provided it’s in a secure format and the attorney certifies its authenticity. It also outlines procedures for retaining and destroying transcripts.
Key provisions
- Allows electronic transmission of deposition transcripts upon attorney request.
- Requires electronic transcripts to be in a format ensuring authenticity and preventing alteration.
- Establishes that electronically transmitted transcripts are admissible as originals with attorney certification.
- Outlines retention and destruction procedures for deposition transcripts.
- Specifies the role of the deposition officer in securely transmitting transcripts.
Who is affected
- Attorneys
- Parties involved in civil lawsuits
- Deposition officers
- Courts
Notable changes
- Permits electronic delivery of deposition transcripts instead of traditional mail.
- Requires a secure electronic format for electronic transcripts.
- Establishes a process for attorney certification of transcript authenticity.
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AB2290:v97#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Senate June 11, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 02, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2290
| Introduced by Assembly Member Lackey |
| February 19, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 2025.550 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to civil actions.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2290, as amended, Lackey. Civil discovery: oral depositions: transcriptions.
The Civil Discovery Act authorizes a party to obtain discovery by taking the oral deposition of any person. Oral depositions must be conducted under the supervision of a deposition officer, as specified, and, unless otherwise agreed or ordered, the testimony must be taken stenographically and then transcribed. The act provides procedures for the deponent to read, correct, approve, and sign the original deposition transcript and requires the deposition officer to certify and promptly transmit the transcript to the attorney of the party who noticed the deposition in a securely sealed envelope or package.
This bill would permit the deposition officer to instead transmit a certified deposition transcript to the attorney of the party who noticed the deposition via secure electronic means, when requested by that attorney. The bill would require an electronically transmitted transcript to be in a format that ensures it is authentic and has not been altered. The bill would make an electronically stored transcript admissible as an original transcript where the attorney presenting it certifies that it is a true and correct copy of the transcript that they received electronically.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 2025.550 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read:
2025.550.
(a) The certified transcript of a deposition shall not be filed with the court. Instead, the deposition officer shall securely seal that transcript in an envelope or package endorsed with the title of the action and marked: “Deposition of (here insert name of deponent),” and shall promptly transmit it to the attorney for the party who noticed the deposition. Upon request of the attorney for the party who noticed the deposition, the deposition officer may instead securely transmit the transcript electronically in an encrypted format to that attorney. This The electronic transcript shall be in a format that enables the attorney and the court to verify that the transcript is authentic and has not been altered after it was certified by the deposition officer. The attorney shall store the transcript under conditions that will protect it against loss, destruction, or tampering. When presenting an electronically stored transcript to a court for any purpose, the attorney shall certify that the transcript is a true and correct copy of the transcript received electronically pursuant to this subdivision, and the transcript shall be admissible as an original transcript.
(b) The attorney to whom the transcript of a deposition is transmitted shall retain custody of it until six months after final disposition of the action. At that time, the transcript may be destroyed, unless the court, on motion of any party and for good cause shown, orders that the transcript be preserved for a longer period.