PDH S.C.R. 23 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.C.R. 23 By: Ellis Judicial Affairs 3/3/23/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Office of Court Administration operates under the direction of the Texas Supreme Court to provide administrative, technical, and research assistance to all Texas courts and to develop and implement court guidelines and rules of procedure that foster an effective and efficient judicial system. Currently, court rules allow court proceedings to be recorded and broadcast under certain conditions. However, only one court in Texas, the Eighth Court of Appeals, has made explicit pool arrangement rules for media agencies to broadcast during proceedings. Media pooling agreements include the mutual sharing of audio and visual recordings by news organizations, notice to the court regarding media equipment, conduct of media personnel, and criteria for coverage restriction regarding sensitive cases. A uniform set of guidelines may provide consistency in court interactions with the public media throughout the state without impairing the court's power to control and administer access by the media to the courtroom where justice so requires. S.C.R. 23 directs the Office of Court Administration to study and develop uniform guidelines for media pooling agreements for courtroom coverage throughout Texas and directs that the Office of Court Administration solicit and consider the opinions and advice of the judiciary in developing the uniform guidelines. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS S.C.R. 23 directs the Office of Court Administration to study and develop uniform guidelines for media pooling agreements for courtroom coverage throughout Texas and directs that the Office of Court Administration solicit and consider the opinions and advice of the judiciary in developing the uniform guidelines. Provides that the secretary of state forward an official copy of this resolution to the executive assistant of the Office of the Court Administration.