88R4130 JTZ-F
 
  By: Leach H.B. No. 2383
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to court deposition and transcription services and fees
  and to court reporters and certified court interpreters;
  establishing a civil penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 20.001, Civil Practice
  and Remedies Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 20.001.  PERSONS WHO MAY TAKE A DEPOSITION ON WRITTEN
  QUESTIONS.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 20.001(b), (c), and (d), Civil Practice
  and Remedies Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A deposition on written questions of a witness who is
  alleged to reside or to be outside this state, but inside the United
  States, may be taken in another state by:
               (1)  a clerk of a court of record having a seal;
               (2)  a commissioner of deeds appointed under the laws
  of this state; or
               (3)  any notary public.
         (c)  A deposition on written questions of a witness who is
  alleged to reside or to be outside the United States may be taken
  by:
               (1)  a minister, commissioner, or charge d'affaires of
  the United States who is a resident of and is accredited in the
  country where the deposition is taken;
               (2)  a consul general, consul, vice-consul, commercial
  agent, vice-commercial agent, deputy consul, or consular agent of
  the United States who is a resident of the country where the
  deposition is taken; or
               (3)  any notary public.
         (d)  A deposition on written questions of a witness who is
  alleged to be a member of the United States Armed Forces or of a
  United States Armed Forces Auxiliary or who is alleged to be a
  civilian employed by or accompanying the armed forces or an
  auxiliary outside the United States may be taken by a commissioned
  officer in the United States Armed Forces or United States Armed
  Forces Auxiliary or by a commissioned officer in the United States
  Armed Forces Reserve or an auxiliary of it. If a deposition on
  written questions appears on its face to have been taken as provided
  by this subsection and the deposition or any part of it is offered
  in evidence, it is presumed, absent pleading and proof to the
  contrary, that the person taking the deposition as a commissioned
  officer was a commissioned officer on the date that the deposition
  was taken, and that the deponent was a member of the authorized
  group of military personnel or civilians.
         SECTION 3.  Section 51.601, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 51.601.  COURT REPORTER SERVICE FUND. (a) [(c)] The
  commissioners court of the county shall administer the court
  reporter service fund to assist in the payment of
  court-reporter-related services, that 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, including a court
  reporter's preparation of an appellate record under the Texas Rules
  of Appellate Procedure and Rule 145, Texas Rules of Civil
  Procedure, to comply with state or federal laws, or providing any
  other service related to the functions of a court reporter.
         (b) [(d)]  The commissioners court shall, in administering
  the court reporter service fund, assist any court in which a case is
  filed that requires the payment of the court reporter service fee.
         SECTION 4.  Section 52.041, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 52.041.  APPOINTMENT OF OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER. (a)
  Each judge of a court of record shall appoint an official court
  reporter. An official court reporter is a sworn officer of the
  court and holds office at the pleasure of the court.
         (b)  The judges of two or more courts of record that are not
  located in the same judicial district on agreement may jointly
  appoint an official court reporter to serve the courts.
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other law, two or more judges of
  courts of record may appoint a certified shorthand reporter to
  serve each court as an official court reporter of the court. A
  certified shorthand reporter appointed under this subsection may
  serve as an official court reporter for more than one county and be
  an employee of more than one county.
         (d)  An official court reporter may remotely serve any court
  to which the official court reporter is appointed.
         SECTION 5.  Section 52.042, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
         (e)  A deputy court reporter may remotely serve any court to
  which the official court reporter is appointed.
         SECTION 6.  Sections 52.047(c), (e), and (g), Government
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  On payment of the fee or as provided by the [Rule
  40(a)(3) or 53(j),] Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, the person
  requesting the transcript is entitled to the original and one copy
  of the transcript. The person may purchase additional copies for a
  fee per page that does not exceed one-third of the original cost per
  page.
         (e)  If an objection is made to the amount of these
  additional fees, the judge shall set a reasonable fee. If the
  person applying for the transcript is entitled to a transcript
  without charge under the [Rule 40(a)(3) or 53(j),] Texas Rules of
  Appellate Procedure, the court reporter may not charge any
  additional fees under Subsection (d).
         (g)  Notwithstanding the [Rule 53(j),] Texas Rules of
  Appellate Procedure, an official court reporter who is required to
  prepare a transcript in a criminal case without charging a fee is
  not entitled to payment for the transcript from the state or county
  if the county paid a substitute court reporter to perform the
  official court reporter's regular duties while the transcript was
  being prepared. To the extent that this subsection conflicts with
  the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, this subsection controls.
  Notwithstanding Sections 22.004 and 22.108(b), the supreme court or
  the court of criminal appeals may not amend or adopt rules in
  conflict with this subsection.
         SECTION 7.  Section 52.054, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  A county responsible for payment of the salary of an
  official court reporter jointly appointed in accordance with
  Section 52.041(b) to serve courts of record in two or more counties
  that are not in the same judicial district shall pay a portion of
  the reporter's salary in an amount equal to the proportion that
  county's population bears to the combined population of all the
  counties responsible for payment of the salary.
         SECTION 8.  Section 52.055(d), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  The expenses reimbursed under this section are subject
  to annual limitations based on the size of the judicial district.
  Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), a court reporter may not
  receive more than the maximum reimbursement amount set for the
  reporter's judicial district in any one year. The maximum
  reimbursement amount is as follows:
               (1)  if the judicial district contains two counties,
  the maximum reimbursement amount is $400 or a greater amount set by
  the commissioners court of the county for which the expenses were
  incurred;
               (2)  if the judicial district contains three counties,
  the maximum reimbursement amount is $800 or a greater amount set by
  the commissioners court of the county for which the expenses were
  incurred;
               (3)  if the judicial district contains four counties,
  the maximum reimbursement amount is $1,400 or a greater amount set
  by the commissioners court of the county for which the expenses were
  incurred; and
               (4)  if the judicial district contains five or more
  counties, the maximum reimbursement amount is $2,000 or a greater
  amount set by the commissioners court of the county for which the
  expenses were incurred.
         SECTION 9.  Section 52.056(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  An official or deputy court reporter of a judicial
  district who is required to leave the county of the reporter's [his]
  residence to report proceedings as a substitute for the official
  court reporter of another county is entitled to reimbursement for
  actual and necessary travel expenses and a per diem allowance of $30
  or the amount provided by the travel per diem policy of the county
  for which the expenses were incurred, whichever is greater, for
  each day or part of a day spent outside the reporter's [his] county
  of residence in the performance of duties as a substitute. These
  fees are in addition to the visiting reporter's regular salary.
         SECTION 10.  Section 52.058(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  Travel expenses reimbursed under this section may not
  exceed the mileage reimbursement rate established by the county [25
  cents per mile] for the use of private conveyances, traveling the
  shortest practical route.
         SECTION 11.  Sections 57.001(1) and (9), Government Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Certified court interpreter" means an individual
  who is a qualified interpreter as defined in Article 38.31, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, or Section 21.003, Civil Practice and Remedies
  Code, or is qualified in accordance with the communication access
  realtime translation services eligibility requirements established
  by the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services of the Health and
  Human Services Commission, [certified under Subchapter B by the
  Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services] to interpret
  court proceedings for a hearing-impaired individual.
               (9)  "Certified CART provider" means an individual who
  holds a certification to provide communication access realtime
  translation services at an advanced or master level, including:
                     (A)  a level I through level V certificate of
  competency issued by the Texas Court Reporters Association;
                     (B)  a certified realtime reporter, certified
  realtime captioner, or other equivalent certified CART provider
  certificate of competency issued by the National Court Reporters
  Association; or
                     (C)  a certificate of competency issued by another
  certification association selected by the department.
         SECTION 12.  Section 154.101(f), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (f)  Except as provided by Section 154.112 and by Section
  20.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, all depositions conducted
  in this state must be reported [recorded] by a certified shorthand
  reporter.
         SECTION 13.  Sections 154.105(b), (c), and (d), Government
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A certified shorthand reporter may administer oaths to
  witnesses[:
               [(1) anywhere in this state;
               [(2) in a jurisdiction outside this state if:
                     [(A) the reporter is at the same location as the
  witness; and
                     [(B) the witness is or may be a witness in a case
  filed in this state; and
               [(3) at any location authorized in a reciprocity
  agreement between this state and another jurisdiction under Section
  152.202(b).
         [(c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a shorthand reporter
  may administer an oath as provided under this subsection to a person
  who is or may be a witness in a case filed in this state] without
  being at the same location as the witness[:
               [(1) if the reporter is physically located in this
  state at the time the oath is administered; or
               [(2) as authorized in a reciprocity agreement between
  this state and another jurisdiction under Section 152.202(b) if:
                     [(A) the witness is at a location in the other
  jurisdiction; and
                     [(B) the reporter is at a location in the same
  jurisdiction as the witness].
         (c) [(d)]  The identity of a witness who is not in the
  physical presence of a certified shorthand reporter may be proven
  by:
               (1)  a statement under oath on the record by a party to
  the case stating that the party has actual knowledge of the
  witness's identity;
               (2)  a statement on the record by an attorney for a
  party to the case, or an attorney for the witness, verifying the
  witness's identity;
               (3)  a statement on the record by a notary who is in the
  presence of the witness verifying the witness's identity; or
               (4)  the witness's presentation for inspection by the
  court reporter of an official document issued by this state,
  another state, a federal agency, or another jurisdiction that
  verifies the witness's identity.
         SECTION 14.  The heading to Section 154.112, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 154.112.  EMPLOYMENT OF NONCERTIFIED PERSON FOR
  SHORTHAND REPORTING; CIVIL PENALTY.
         SECTION 15.  Section 154.112, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (d), (e), (f), (g),
  and (h) to read as follows:
         (b)  A person who is not certified as a court reporter may
  engage in shorthand reporting to report an oral deposition only if:
               (1)  the uncertified person delivers an affidavit to
  the parties or to their counsel before [present at] the deposition
  begins stating that a certified shorthand reporter is not
  available; or
               (2)  the parties or their counsel stipulate on the
  record at the beginning of the deposition that a certified
  shorthand reporter is not available.
         (d)  The person shall file the affidavit described by
  Subsection (b)(1) with the court as part of the certification
  required by Rule 203.2, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
         (e)  In addition to any other remedy authorized by law, the
  commission may:
               (1)  collect a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed
  $1,000 from a person who fails to comply with Subsection (b)(1) or
  (d); and
               (2)  seek injunctive relief for a second or subsequent
  violation of Subsection (b)(1) or (d) to prohibit the person from
  engaging in shorthand reporting unless the person is certified as a
  court reporter under this chapter.
         (f)  The commission shall collect a civil penalty assessed
  under Subsection (e)(1) following the same procedures the
  commission uses in taking disciplinary action against a certified
  court reporter for violating the laws and rules applicable to the
  reporter.
         (g)  The attorney general, a county or district attorney
  whose jurisdiction includes the location at which a deposition is
  taken, or legal counsel the commission designates may represent the
  commission for purposes of collecting the civil penalty or
  obtaining the injunctive relief.
         (h)  In an action authorized by this section, the commission
  may obtain reasonable attorney's fees, expenses, and costs incurred
  in obtaining the civil penalty or injunctive relief.
         SECTION 16.  Section 154.105(e), Government Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 17.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the Texas Supreme Court shall revise the Texas Rules of
  Civil Procedure as the court determines necessary to conform to the
  changes in law made by this Act to Section 154.112, Government Code.
         SECTION 18.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.