By Jones of Dallas                                     H.B. No. 572
       74R1313 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to exemption from jury service.
    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 the person <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 the person's <his> service on the jury
   1-12  requires leaving the child or children without adequate
   1-13  supervision;
   1-14              (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary
   1-15  school;
   1-16              (4)  is <a person> enrolled and in actual attendance at
   1-17  an institution of higher education;
   1-18              (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the
   1-19  house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,
   1-20  office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state
   1-21  government;
   1-22              (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a
   1-23  population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan
   1-24  under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section
    2-1  62.011(b)(6) exceeds two years, and the person <he> has served as a
    2-2  petit juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the
    2-3  date he is to appear for jury service; <or>
    2-4              (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is an
    2-5  invalid unable to care for himself; or
    2-6              (8)  is registered with a temporary service or procures
    2-7  work that is performed and paid for by the day.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996.
    2-9        (b)  The changes in the law made by this Act apply only to
   2-10  persons summoned to appear for jury service on or after the
   2-11  effective date of this Act.
   2-12        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-13  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-14  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-15  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-16  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.