| TO: | Honorable Jeff Wentworth, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB335 by Hartnett (Relating to the time for a court reporter to provide a transcript of the evidence in a case.), As Engrossed |
The bill would require a court reporter to provide a transcript no later than 120 days after the date an application for the transcript is received by the court reporter and a transcript fee is paid by the requesting person, unless the person has established indigency. The bill would create new requirements for court reporters that would be regulated by the Court Reporters Certification Board for noncompliance. However, the fiscal implication to the State is not anticipated to be significant.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Because many court reporters are court employees, counties may incur indirect administrative expenses in tracking requests for transcripts and receipts of fees. Also, to the extent a court reporter employed by a court cannot accommodate regular court duties because of new transcript deadline requirements, local government may incur additional expenses in contracting court reporter services or paying overtime to court reporter employees. However, statewide the fiscal implication to units of local government is not anticipated to be significant.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, MN, ZS, TB
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