1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 1366
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 April 15, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 15, 1999,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1366 By: Harris
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to court reporting.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Section 52.021, Government Code, is amended by
1-13 amending the heading and Subsections (b), (h), and (i) and adding
1-14 Subsection (j) to read as follows:
1-15 Sec. 52.021. CERTIFICATION; ENFORCEMENT.
1-16 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a [A] person may
1-17 not engage in shorthand reporting in this state unless the person
1-18 is certified as a shorthand reporter by the supreme court and is:
1-19 (1) an official court reporter or deputy court
1-20 reporter of a court in this state;
1-21 (2) a self-employed freelance shorthand reporter; or
1-22 (3) an independent contractor for or employed by a
1-23 court reporting firm in which a majority of the ownership of the
1-24 firm is held by one or more persons who are:
1-25 (A) certified as shorthand reporters by the
1-26 supreme court; or
1-27 (B) related within the first degree of
1-28 consanguinity or affinity as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter
1-29 573, to a person who is certified as a shorthand reporter by the
1-30 supreme court.
1-31 (h) A court reporting firm shall register with the board by:
1-32 (1) completing an application in a form adopted by the
1-33 board; and
1-34 (2) paying a reasonable fee as set by the board.
1-35 (i) Rules applicable to a court reporter are also applicable
1-36 to a court reporting firm.
1-37 (j) The board may enforce this chapter [subsection] by
1-38 assessing a [reasonable] fee not to exceed $5,000 against a court
1-39 reporter or a court reporting firm.
1-40 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-41 SECTION 3. Subsection (j), Section 52.021, Government Code,
1-42 as added by this Act, applies only to a violation of Chapter 52,
1-43 Government Code, that occurs on or after September 1, 1999. A
1-44 violation of Chapter 52, Government Code, that occurred before
1-45 September 1, 1999, is governed by the law in effect on the date the
1-46 violation occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for
1-47 that purpose.
1-48 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-49 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-50 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-51 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-52 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-53 * * * * *