By:  Gallego                                           H.B. No. 380
       73R293 CLG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the selection of grand jurors.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article 19.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-5  amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Art. 19.08.  QUALIFICATIONS.  No person shall be selected or
    1-7  serve as a grand juror who does not possess the following
    1-8  qualifications:
    1-9              1.  He must be a citizen of the state, and of the
   1-10  county in which he is to serve, and be qualified under the
   1-11  Constitution and laws to vote in said county, provided that his
   1-12  failure to register to vote shall not be held to disqualify him in
   1-13  this instance;
   1-14              2.  He must be of sound mind and good moral character;
   1-15              3.  He must be able to read and write;
   1-16              4.  He must not have been convicted of any felony;
   1-17              5.  He must not be under indictment or other legal
   1-18  accusation for theft or of any felony;
   1-19              6.  He must not be related within the third degree of
   1-20  consanguinity or second degree of affinity, as determined under
   1-21  Article 5996h, Revised Statutes, to any person selected to serve or
   1-22  serving on the same grand jury;
   1-23              7.  He must not have served as grand juror or jury
   1-24  commissioner during <in> the two years <year> before the date on
    2-1  which the term of court for which he has been selected as grand
    2-2  juror begins;
    2-3              8.  He must not be a complainant in any matter to be
    2-4  heard by the grand jury during the term of court for which he has
    2-5  been selected as a grand juror.
    2-6        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
    2-7  only to grand jury selections made on or after the effective date
    2-8  of this Act.  For purposes of this section, a selection is made
    2-9  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the
   2-10  selection process occurs before the effective date.
   2-11        (b)  A grand jury selection made before the effective date of
   2-12  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the selection
   2-13  process began, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   2-14  purpose.
   2-15        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-16        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.