S.B. No. 1538 is a bill that mandates the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System to conduct a comprehensive study on digital court reporting. The study will evaluate the current implementation of digital court reporting in Texas courts, focusing on aspects such as cost, access, accuracy, and effectiveness. Additionally, the bill requires an analysis of how digital court reporting is utilized in other states and jurisdictions, along with recommendations for any necessary changes to existing statutes, rules, regulations, or standards related to digital court reporting in Texas.

The bill stipulates that the Office must submit a report detailing the findings of the study by October 1, 2026, to key state officials, including the governor and legislative committees. Furthermore, the Act is set to expire on September 1, 2027, and will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 52.001, Government Code 52.041, Government Code 52.046, Government Code 52.059, Government Code 154.001, Government Code 154.051, Government Code 154.101, Government Code 154.1011, Government Code 154.104, Government Code 154.105, Government Code 154.106, Government Code 154.107, Government Code 154.110, Government Code 154.111, Government Code 154.112, Government Code 154.113, Government Code 154.115, Commerce Code 322.003, Education Code 21.255, Education Code 21.256, Education Code 21.260, Education Code 21.302, Government Code 25.1252, Government Code 25.2072, Government Code 52.048, Government Code 54.755, Local Government Code 158.013, Occupations Code 1103.512, Occupations Code 1104.2131 (Occupations Code 1104, Commerce Code 322, Education Code 21, Government Code 154, Occupations Code 1103, Government Code 52, Government Code 25, Local Government Code 158, Government Code 54)