1-1 By: Carona S.B. No. 424
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 5, 1999; February 9, 1999,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 February 24, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas
1-5 4, Nays 0; February 24, 1999, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the examination required for certification as a court
1-9 reporter.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 52.023, Government Code,
1-12 is amended to read as follows:
1-13 (b) Part A consists of five minutes of two-voice dictation
1-14 of questions and answers given at 225 words per minute, five
1-15 minutes of dictation of jury charges given at 200 words per minute,
1-16 and five minutes of dictation of selected literary material given
1-17 at 180 words per minute. Each applicant must personally take down
1-18 the test material, either in writing or in voice, and must prepare
1-19 [type] a transcript of the material taken down. [The applicant may
1-20 use either a manual or an electric typewriter.] The minimum
1-21 passing grade for each section of Part A is 95 percent. A
1-22 dictionary may be used during Part A. Each applicant has three
1-23 hours to complete the transcription of Part A. If an applicant
1-24 finishes before the three hours have elapsed, the applicant may
1-25 review the transcript but may use only the test material taken down
1-26 by that applicant to review the transcript. An error is charged
1-27 for:
1-28 (1) each wrong word;
1-29 (2) each omitted word;
1-30 (3) each word added by the applicant that was not
1-31 dictated;
1-32 (4) each contraction interpreted by the applicant as
1-33 two words;
1-34 (5) two words interpreted by the applicant as a
1-35 contraction;
1-36 (6) each misplaced word;
1-37 (7) each misplaced period that materially alters the
1-38 sense of a group of words or a sentence;
1-39 (8) each misspelled word;
1-40 (9) the use of the plural or singular if the opposite
1-41 was dictated; and
1-42 (10) each wrong number.
1-43 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
1-44 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-45 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-46 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-47 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-48 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-49 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-50 * * * * *