PMWJ C.S.H.B. 696 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
H.B. 696
By:  Dutton
C.S.H.B. 696
By: Zbranek
4-2-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

 Court reporters are certified by the Texas Supreme Court after their
reporting proficiency has been tested and approved by the Court Reporters
Certification Board.  Compliance with standards of conduct and
professionalism is thereafter subject to both statutory and Board
supervision.  Court reporting firms in Texas, however, may be owned by
non-court reporters and therefore not subject to any of the aforementioned
standards. 


PURPOSE

 CSHB 696 will require court reporting firms to be subject to the same
standards as court reporters. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 New Government Code Section 52.021(i) authorizes the Court Reporters
Certification Board to assess a fee against a court reporting firm for the
enforcement of rules applicable to the firm. 


SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 SECTION 1 adds new Subsecs. (h) and (i) to Section 52.021 of the
Government Code to require court reporting firms to register with the
Court Reporters Certification Board and follow rules applicable to court
reporters. 

 SECTION 2.  Effective date.

 SECTION 3.  Emergency clause. 


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 SECTION 1 in the substitute adds new Subsecs. (h) and (i) to Section
52.021 of the Government Code to require court reporting firms to register
with the Court Reporters Certification Board and follow rules applicable
to court reporters.  Section 1 in the original bill amended Sec. 52.021(b)
to establish ownership requirements for court reporting firms.  
 Sections 2 and 3 are the same in both versions.