By: Paxton (Senate Sponsor - Harris) H.B. No. 1518
         (In the Senate - Received from the House March 26, 2007;
  March 29, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Jurisprudence; April 19, 2007, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 19, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to circumstances under which court reporting firms,
  shorthand reporting firms, and affiliate offices are considered to
  provide services in this state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 52.001, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 52.001. DEFINITIONS.  (a)  In this chapter:
               (1)  "Board" means the Court Reporters Certification
  Board.
               (2)  "Certification" means a certification issued by
  the state supreme court on the board's recommendation.
               (2-a)  "Director" means the administrative director of
  the board's employees.
               (3)  "Official court reporter" means the shorthand
  reporter appointed by a judge as the official court reporter.
               (4)  "Shorthand reporter" and "court reporter" mean a
  person who engages in shorthand reporting.
               (5)  "Shorthand reporting" and "court reporting" mean
  the practice of shorthand reporting for use in litigation in the
  courts of this state by making a verbatim record of an oral court
  proceeding, deposition, or proceeding before a grand jury, referee,
  or court commissioner using written symbols in shorthand, machine
  shorthand, or oral stenography.
               (6)  "Shorthand reporting firm," "court reporting
  firm," and "affiliate office" mean an entity wholly or partly in the
  business of providing court reporting or other related services in
  this state.
               (7)  "Registration" means a registration issued by the
  board.
         (b)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(6), a court reporting
  firm, shorthand reporting firm, or affiliate office is considered
  to be providing court reporting or other related services in this
  state if:
               (1)  any act that constitutes a court reporting service
  or shorthand reporting service occurs wholly or partly in this
  state;
               (2)  the firm or office recruits a resident of this
  state through an intermediary located inside or outside of this
  state to provide court reporting services, shorthand reporting
  services, or other related services in this state; or
               (3)  the firm or office contracts with a resident of
  this state by mail or otherwise and either party is to perform court
  reporting services, shorthand reporting services, or other related
  services wholly or partly in this state.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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