Since 1994, Texas freelance Certified Shorthand Reporters (CSRs) and licensed Court Reporting Firms (CRFs) have been unfairly restricted from charging per-page copy fees comparable to other states. The freelance court reporting landscape has changed dramatically over 20 years since the one-third rule was put in place. This restriction on commerce is anti-competitive, anti-business, and makes no economic sense in the current global environment. We will present documentation supporting our position, including, but not limited to, the following:

* The national average copy cost is 57.12% of the original rate

* Only 4 of the 50 states (TX, MI, WV and AZ) in the United States regulate copy prices, and NO STATE restricts copy prices as dramatically as Texas.

Therefore, as a DULY LICENSED TEXAS CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTER (CSR) and/or TEXAS COURT REPORTING FIRM (CRF) Representative, I AFFIX MY NAME HERETO AND ASK THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT TO AMEND THIS UNFAIR, ANTI-COMPETITIVE AND OPPRESSIVE RESTRICTION, thus permitting Texas freelance Court Reporters and Court Reporting Firms to compete fairly and effectively on a local, national and international basis.

Respectfully submitted: