BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 4529
81R23503 KFF-D By: Chavez (Shapleigh)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law requires the clerk of each court that has an official court reporter to collect a court reporter fee of $15. This fee is to finance court reporter services and to assist in the payment of court reporter-related services. These services may include maintaining an adequate number of court reporters to provide services to the courts, obtaining court reporter transcription services, closed-caption transcription machines, Braille transcription services, or other transcription services to comply with state or federal laws.
H.B. 4529 increases the court reporter service fee in certain counties from $15 to $30.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.601, Government Code, by adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:
(a-1) Requires the clerk of each court that has an official court reporter and that serves a county located on the Texas-Mexico border that contains a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, notwithstanding Subsection (a) (relating to the requirement of certain court clerks to collect a court reporter fee), to collect a court reporter service fee of $30 as a court cost in each civil case filed with the clerk to maintain a court reporter who is available for assignment in the court.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 103.0211, Government Code, as follows:
Sec. 103.0211. ADDITIONAL FEES AND COSTS IN CRIMINAL OR CIVIL CASES: GOVERNMENT CODE. Requires an accused or defendant, or a party to a civil suit, as applicable, to pay a court reporter service fee if the courts have official court reporters (Sec. 51.601, Government Code) of $15 or, in specified counties, $30, if ordered by the court or otherwise required.
SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.