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.