By Thompson H.B. No. 2709
76R6707 DB-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to court reporting firms.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 52.021(b), (h), and (i), Government
1-5 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-6 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a [A] person may
1-7 not engage in shorthand reporting in this state unless the person
1-8 is certified as a shorthand reporter by the supreme court, and is:
1-9 (1) an official court reporter of a court in this
1-10 state or an employee of an official court reporter of a court in
1-11 this state;
1-12 (2) a self-employed freelance shorthand reporter; or
1-13 (3) an independent contractor for or employed by a
1-14 court reporting firm in which a majority of the ownership of the
1-15 firm is held by one or more persons who are:
1-16 (A) certified as shorthand reporters by the
1-17 supreme court; or
1-18 (B) related within the first degree of
1-19 consanguinity or affinity as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter
1-20 573, to a person who is certified as a shorthand reporter by the
1-21 supreme court.
1-22 (h) A court reporting firm shall register with the board by:
1-23 (1) completing an application in a form adopted by the
1-24 board; and
2-1 (2) paying a reasonable fee as set by the board.
2-2 (i) Rules applicable to a court reporter are also applicable
2-3 to a court reporting firm. The board may enforce this subsection
2-4 by assessing a [reasonable] fee not to exceed $5,000 against a
2-5 court reporting firm.
2-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.