AN ACT

 1-1     relating to court reporting firms.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 52.021, Government Code, is amended by

 1-4     adding Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows:

 1-5           (h)  A court reporting firm shall register with the board by

 1-6     completing an application in a form adopted by the board.

 1-7           (i)  Rules applicable to a court reporter are also applicable

 1-8     to a court reporting firm.  The board may enforce this subsection

 1-9     by assessing a reasonable fee against a court reporting firm.

1-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 646 passed the Senate on

         April 24, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 646 passed the House on

         May 5, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor