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.