74R5549 MWV-F
          By Dutton                                              H.B. No. 637
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 637:
          By Solis                                           C.S.H.B. No. 637
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to certification of court reporters.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 52.029, Government Code, is amended by
    1-5  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
    1-6        (e)  The supreme court may authorize and the board may adopt
    1-7  rules relating to the nonrenewal of the certification of a court
    1-8  reporter who is in default on a loan guaranteed under Chapter 57,
    1-9  Education Code, by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation.
   1-10        SECTION 2.  Section 52.013(b), Government Code, is amended to
   1-11  read as follows:
   1-12        (b)  The board may:
   1-13              (1)  appoint any necessary or proper subcommittee;
   1-14              (2)  hire necessary employees;
   1-15              (3)  pay all reasonable expenses from available funds;
   1-16              (4)  approve curriculum for court reporter proprietary
   1-17  schools as provided by Section 32.33, Education Code; <and>
   1-18              (5)  approve court reporter programs in technical
   1-19  institutes and public community colleges for purposes of
   1-20  certification under Section 61.051, Education Code; and
   1-21              (6)  approve continuing professional education courses
   1-22  for persons certified as court reporters.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 52, Government Code, is
   1-24  amended by adding Section 52.015 to read as follows:
    2-1        Sec. 52.015.  CONTINUING EDUCATION.  (a)  The supreme court
    2-2  may authorize and the board by rule may require continuing
    2-3  professional education for persons certified as court reporters.
    2-4        (b)  The rules for continuing professional education adopted
    2-5  by the board may include standards relating to:
    2-6              (1)  annual reporting by court reporters or by
    2-7  providers of continuing professional education;
    2-8              (2)  continuing professional education course content;
    2-9  and
   2-10              (3)  minimum number of hours of continuing professional
   2-11  education required annually.
   2-12        (c)  The board by rule may exempt certain persons, including
   2-13  disabled and retired persons, from all or a portion of the
   2-14  continuing education requirements.
   2-15        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-16        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.