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.