Essential versus Non-Essential Services
On March 19, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20. This Executive Order provided a stay at home order for the citizens of California, except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors. The Executive Order referred to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which provides guidance regarding the identification of essential critical infrastructure workers. Please utilize this document when determining whether your business provides essential or non-essential services and whether you should remain open. That document can be found here.
Dear Stakeholders –
While California continues to navigate the uncertainty of Novell Coronavirus (COVID-19) and limit its spread, the Court Reporters Board (CRB) is committed to supporting our licensees, applicants, and consumers throughout the course of this pandemic and to provide continuity of service at all times. The CRB is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation, coordinating with the state and local governments, and working with our partners to protect the health of Californians.
The CRB understands the ability to perform your jobs with a license is a priority. We appreciate your patience as we work on implementing new technologies to work remotely and adhere to social distancing guidelines. We apologize in advance for any delays in reaching our staff or potential delays in our processing times.
We have received a number of inquiries from our licensees. We are providing the below FAQ’s in an effort to provide information.
The best general guidance will continue to come from the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are There Fee Waivers Available?
At this time the law does not allow this.
2. Should My Business or Practice Remain Open?
The CRB does not have authority to close businesses or practices solely as a result of COVID-19. We strongly encourage you to assess whether your business is an essential job function as outlined by the Governor and follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Check with your local county health department to determine what activities are also considered essential and non-essential.
3. I am licensed in a state outside of California. Does California allow licensing reciprocity during the State of Emergency?
If you are a licensed healthcare provider in a state other than California, please visit the Emergency Medical Services Authority (https://emsa.ca.gov/) for information to be able to practice in California. Please visit the “Authorization of Out-Of-State Medical Personnel” section on this website.
The CRB reminds all licensees to be particularly mindful and respectful that this is a time of high anxiety for all Californians.
You may contact the CRB at 877-327-5272 with additional questions. We encourage any other inquiries to be sent through email to Kim.Kale@dca.ca.gov as a response time may be faster.
ATTENTION COURT REPORTERS BOARD APPLICANTS – UPDATE ON PSI TEST SITES
The Court Reporters Board has been notified that PSI has made the difficult decision to close their owned and operated test centers to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please see the message from the PSI CEO related to these closures here: https://www.psionline.com/blog/psi-services-ceo-owned-and-operated-test-center-closures-in-the-us.
Effective immediately, candidates can reschedule up to and including the day of testing at no penalty and no documentation required. NOTE: In most cases, candidates can reschedule their examinations on-line and they are encouraged to do so. If a candidate chooses to reschedule through the PSI candidate support call center, hold times are expected to be extensive under the current circumstances. The PSI test sites in the United States will close starting the end of day today, March 19 until April 13. PSI will be calling all scheduled candidates that are not registered with an email address. A PSI staff person will be calling candidates starting today through Saturday. After that, an automated phone message will be used to contact candidates. The PSI toll-free line is averaging 4,000 calls per hour. Candidates should expect an unprecedented delay in reaching a live person. The online tool is available to candidates for rescheduling.
The closure of these PSI locations will impact Court Reporters Board applicants eligible to take the following examinations:
- Court Reporters Board English Examination
- Court Reporters Board Professional Practice Examination