By:  Gallego                                          H.B. No. 1030
       73R3123 ESH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to reimbursement for certain expenses incurred by jurors.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 61.001, Government Code, is amended to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 61.001.  Reimbursement of Expenses of Jurors.  (a)  Each
    1-7  grand juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal case in a
    1-8  district court, criminal district court, county court, county court
    1-9  at law, or justice court is entitled to receive as reimbursement
   1-10  for travel and other expenses an amount not less than $10 <$6> nor
   1-11  more than $30 for each day or fraction of each day served as a
   1-12  juror.
   1-13        (b)  A person who responds to the process of a court but is
   1-14  excused from petit jury service by the court for any cause after
   1-15  his voir dire examination is entitled to receive as reimbursement
   1-16  for travel and other expenses an amount not less than $10 <$6> nor
   1-17  more than $30 for each day or fraction of each day in attendance in
   1-18  court in response to the process.
   1-19        (c)  In addition to the amount provided by Subsection (a) or
   1-20  (b), a person who resides more than 50 miles from the place where
   1-21  the proceedings are held is entitled to receive a mileage
   1-22  reimbursement at a rate not to exceed the rate of the mileage
   1-23  reimbursement for state employees provided by the General
   1-24  Appropriations Act.
    2-1        (d)  The commissioners court of each county shall determine
    2-2  annually the daily and mileage reimbursement of expenses for
    2-3  jurors.  The reimbursement must be within the minimum and maximum
    2-4  amounts prescribed by this section and paid out of the jury fund of
    2-5  the county.
    2-6        (e) <(d)>  A check drawn on the jury fund by the district
    2-7  clerk of the county may be transferred by endorsement and delivery
    2-8  and is receivable at par from the holder for all county taxes.
    2-9        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
   2-10  applies only to a person serving on a jury under a summons issued
   2-11  on or after that date or responding to a jury summons issued on or
   2-12  after that date.
   2-13        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-14  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-15  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-16  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-17  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.