By:  Marchant                                         H.B. No. 1126
       73R2645 RJA-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to an exemption from jury service for attorneys.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 62.106, Government Code, is amended to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 62.106.  Exemption From Jury Service.  A person
    1-7  qualified to serve as a petit juror may establish an exemption from
    1-8  jury service if he:
    1-9              (1)  is over 65 years of age;
   1-10              (2)  has legal custody of a child or children younger
   1-11  than 10 years of age and his service on the jury requires leaving
   1-12  the child or children without adequate supervision;
   1-13              (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary
   1-14  school;
   1-15              (4)  is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at
   1-16  an institution of higher education;
   1-17              (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the
   1-18  house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,
   1-19  office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state
   1-20  government;
   1-21              (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a
   1-22  population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan
   1-23  under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section
   1-24  62.011(b)(6) exceeds two years, and he has served as a petit juror
    2-1  in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date he is
    2-2  to appear for jury service; <or>
    2-3              (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is an
    2-4  invalid unable to care for himself; or
    2-5              (8)  is licensed to practice law in this state.
    2-6        SECTION 2.  This Act applies to persons summoned to appear
    2-7  for jury service on or after the effective date of this Act.
    2-8        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-13  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-14  passage, and it is so enacted.