(a) On or before July 1, 2011, the Judicial Council shall establish statewide, uniform fees to be paid by a party for appearing by telephone, which shall supersede any fees paid to vendors and courts under any previously existing agreements and procedures. The fees to be paid for telephone appearances shall include:
(1) A fee for providing the telephone appearance service pursuant to a timely request to the vendor or court.
(2) An additional fee for providing services if the request is made shortly before the hearing, as defined by the Judicial Council.
(3) A fee for canceling a telephone appearance request.
(b) If a party has received a waiver of fees pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 68630) of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Government Code, neither a vendor nor a court shall charge that party any of the fees authorized by this section, subject to the following:
(1) The vendor or court that provides the telephone appearance service shall have a lien, as provided by rule of court, on any judgment, including a judgment for costs, that the party may receive, in the amount of the fee that the party would have paid for the telephone appearance.
(2) If the vendor or court later receives a fee or a portion of a fee for appearance by telephone that was previously waived, that fee shall be distributed consistent with Section 72011 of the Government Code.
(c) The fee described in this section shall be a recoverable cost under Section 1033.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Amended (as added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 720, Sec. 3) by Stats. 2012, Ch. 41, Sec. 1. (SB 1021) Effective June 27, 2012.)