H.B. No. 253 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to providing a uniform jury handbook to jurors in a civil 1-3 or criminal case. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 23, Government Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter C to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER C. UNIFORM JURY HANDBOOK 1-8 Sec. 23.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "state bar" 1-9 means the State Bar of Texas. 1-10 Sec. 23.202. UNIFORM JURY HANDBOOK; CONTENTS. (a) The 1-11 state bar shall publish a uniform jury handbook that: 1-12 (1) informs jurors in lay terminology of the duties 1-13 and responsibilities of a juror; 1-14 (2) explains basic trial procedures and legal 1-15 terminology; and 1-16 (3) provides other practical information relating to 1-17 jury service. 1-18 (b) The state bar shall review and update the uniform jury 1-19 handbook annually. A Spanish language version of the handbook 1-20 shall be published and made available. 1-21 Sec. 23.203. DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBOOK. (a) The state bar 1-22 shall distribute copies of the uniform jury handbook to each trial 1-23 court of this state in sufficient numbers to meet the requirements 1-24 of this subchapter. 2-1 (b) The clerk of a trial court shall provide each juror in a 2-2 civil or criminal case with a copy of the uniform jury handbook. 2-3 The juror shall read the handbook before the juror begins jury 2-4 service. 2-5 (c) The handbook is a public document. The state bar or a 2-6 trial court may distribute the handbook to promote the public's 2-7 understanding of jury service. 2-8 Sec. 23.204. CONFLICT WITH INSTRUCTION OR CHARGE. If a 2-9 provision of the uniform jury handbook is in conflict with an 2-10 instruction or charge of a trial judge in a case, the instruction 2-11 or charge supersedes the provision of the handbook. 2-12 SECTION 2. (a) A legislative oversight committee shall 2-13 jointly develop with the State Bar of Texas the uniform jury 2-14 handbook required by Subchapter C, Chapter 23, Government Code, as 2-15 added by this Act. The speaker of the house of representatives 2-16 shall appoint five members of the house of representatives to serve 2-17 on the committee. The lieutenant governor shall appoint five 2-18 members of the senate to serve on the committee. The speaker of 2-19 the house of representatives and the lieutenant governor shall make 2-20 the appointments required by this subsection not later than October 2-21 1, 1993. 2-22 (b) The State Bar of Texas shall publish and distribute the 2-23 uniform jury handbook as required by this Act not later than 2-24 January 1, 1994. 2-25 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, except 2-26 that Section 1 takes effect January 1, 1994. 2-27 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.