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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the exemption from jury service for persons over a |
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certain age. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 62.106(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may |
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establish an exemption from jury service if the person: |
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(1) is over 75 [70] years of age; |
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(2) has legal custody of a child younger than 12 years |
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of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the |
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child without adequate supervision; |
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(3) is a student of a public or private secondary |
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school; |
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(4) is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an |
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institution of higher education; |
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(5) is an officer or an employee of the senate, the |
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house of representatives, or any department, commission, board, |
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office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state |
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government; |
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(6) is summoned for service in a county with a |
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population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan |
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under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section |
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62.011(b)(5) exceeds two years, and the person has served as a petit |
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juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date |
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the person is to appear for jury service; |
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(7) is the primary caretaker of a person who is unable |
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to care for himself or herself; |
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(8) except as provided by Subsection (b), is summoned |
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for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and |
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the person has served as a petit juror in the county during the |
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three-year period preceding the date the person is to appear for |
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jury service; or |
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(9) is a member of the United States military forces |
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serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from the |
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person's home station and out of the person's county of residence. |
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SECTION 2. Section 62.107(c), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) A person who files a statement with a clerk of the court, |
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as provided by Subsection (a), claiming an exemption because the |
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person is over 75 [70] years of age, may also claim the permanent |
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exemption on that ground authorized by Section 62.108 by including |
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in the statement filed with the clerk a declaration that the person |
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desires the permanent exemption. Promptly after a statement |
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claiming a permanent exemption on the basis of age is filed, the |
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clerk of the court with whom it is filed shall have a copy delivered |
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to the voter registrar of the county. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 62.108(a), (b), (c), and (e), |
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Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A person who is entitled to exemption from jury service |
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because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may establish a |
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permanent exemption on that ground as provided by this section or |
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Section 62.107. |
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(b) A person may claim a permanent exemption: |
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(1) by filing with the voter registrar of the county, |
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by mail or personal delivery, a signed statement affirming that the |
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person is over 75 [70] years of age and desires a permanent |
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exemption on that ground; or |
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(2) in the manner provided by Section 62.107(c). |
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(c) The voter registrar of the county shall maintain a |
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current register indicating the name of each person who has claimed |
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and is entitled to a permanent exemption from jury service because |
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the person is over 75 [70] years of age. |
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(e) A person who has claimed a permanent exemption from jury |
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service because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may rescind |
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the exemption at any time by filing a signed request for the |
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rescission with the voter registrar of the county. Rescission of a |
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permanent exemption does not affect the right of a person who is |
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over 75 [70] years of age to claim permanent exemption at a later |
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time. |
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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to |
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appear for service on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to appear |
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for service before the effective date of this Act is covered by the |
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law in effect when the person was summoned, and that law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |