Texas Government Code - GOV'T § 30.00010. Court Reporter

(a) The municipality shall provide a court reporter to preserve a record in cases tried before a municipal court of record. The court reporter must meet the qualifications provided by law for official court reporters. The reporter shall be compensated by the municipality in the manner determined by the governing body.

(b) The court reporter may use written notes, transcribing equipment, video or audio recording equipment, or a combination of those methods to record the proceedings of the court. The reporter shall keep the record for the 20-day period beginning the day after the last day of the proceeding, trial, or denial of motion for new trial, or until any appeal is final, whichever occurs last.

(c) The court reporter is not required to record testimony in a case unless the judge or one of the parties requests a record.

(d) Instead of providing a court reporter, the governing body may provide that the proceedings may be recorded by a good quality electronic recording device. If the governing body authorizes the electronic recording, the court reporter is not required to be present to certify the reporter's record. The recording shall be kept for the 20-day period beginning the day after the last day of the court proceeding, trial, or denial of motion for new trial, whichever occurs last. If a case is appealed, the proceedings shall be transcribed from the recording by an official court reporter.