A bill for an act creating a program and fund for court reporter equipment, and making appropriations.

This bill establishes a new program and fund in Iowa to provide financial assistance for purchasing court reporter equipment and software. It directly affects students enrolled in court reporter training programs and newly licensed court reporters who are Iowa residents. The program offers two types of aid: grants for students and forgivable loans for graduates who agree to work as court reporters in Iowa for five years after receiving the loan. If a loan recipient works in the field for the required five-year period, the loan is forgiven; otherwise, they must repay it according to a set schedule. The legislation also creates a dedicated state fund and appropriates $100,000 for the fiscal year 2024-2025 to support these initiatives.