Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         By:  Brown                                    S.B. No. 646

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       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     amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (h) to read as

 1-5     follows:

 1-6           (b)  A person may not engage in shorthand reporting in this

 1-7     state unless the person is an official court reporter or is:

 1-8                 (1)  certified as a shorthand reporter by the supreme

 1-9     court; and

1-10                 (2)  an independent contractor of or employed by a

1-11     court reporting firm in which a person  or persons certified as

1-12     shorthand reporters by the supreme court are partners,

1-13     shareholders, or owners with an individual or aggregate ownership

1-14     interest of at least 51 percent of the firm.

1-15           (h)  A court reporting firm shall register with the board by

1-16     completing an application in a form adopted by the board.

1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.