1-1 By: Dutton (Senate Sponsor - Henderson) H.B. No. 637
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 15, 1995;
1-3 March 16, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; April 26, 1995, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 26, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to certification of court reporters.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Section 52.029, Government Code, is amended by
1-11 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
1-12 (e) The supreme court may authorize and the board may adopt
1-13 rules relating to the nonrenewal of the certification of a court
1-14 reporter who is in default on a loan guaranteed under Chapter 57,
1-15 Education Code, by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation.
1-16 SECTION 2. Section 52.013(b), Government Code, is amended to
1-17 read as follows:
1-18 (b) The board may:
1-19 (1) appoint any necessary or proper subcommittee;
1-20 (2) hire necessary employees;
1-21 (3) pay all reasonable expenses from available funds;
1-22 (4) approve curriculum for court reporter proprietary
1-23 schools as provided by Section 32.33, Education Code; <and>
1-24 (5) approve court reporter programs in technical
1-25 institutes and public community colleges for purposes of
1-26 certification under Section 61.051, Education Code; and
1-27 (6) approve continuing professional education courses
1-28 for persons certified as court reporters.
1-29 SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 52, Government Code, is
1-30 amended by adding Section 52.015 to read as follows:
1-31 Sec. 52.015. CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) The supreme court
1-32 may authorize and the board by rule may require continuing
1-33 professional education for persons certified as court reporters.
1-34 (b) The rules for continuing professional education adopted
1-35 by the board may include standards relating to:
1-36 (1) annual reporting by court reporters or by
1-37 providers of continuing professional education;
1-38 (2) continuing professional education course content;
1-39 and
1-40 (3) minimum number of hours of continuing professional
1-41 education required annually.
1-42 (c) The board by rule may exempt certain persons, including
1-43 disabled and retired persons, from all or a portion of the
1-44 continuing education requirements.
1-45 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
1-46 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
1-47 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-48 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-49 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-50 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-51 * * * * *