By Kamel                                              H.B. No. 2950
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the filing of a written list of prospective jurors with
    1-3  the county clerk 10 days before the date summoned.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 62.011, Government Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        62.011.  ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL METHOD OF SELECTION.  (a)
    1-8  On the recommendation of a majority of the district and criminal
    1-9  district judges of a county, the commissioners court, by order
   1-10  entered in its minutes, may adopt a plan for the selection of names
   1-11  of persons for jury service with the aid of electronic or
   1-12  mechanical equipment instead of drawing the names from a jury
   1-13  wheel.
   1-14        (b)  A plan authorized by this section for the selection of
   1-15  names of prospective jurors must:
   1-16              (1)  be proposed in writing to the commissioners court
   1-17  by a majority of the district and criminal district judges of the
   1-18  county at a meeting of the judges called for that purpose;
   1-19              (2)  specify that the source of names of persons for
   1-20  jury service is the same as that provided by Section 62.001 and
   1-21  that the names of persons listed in a register of persons exempt
   1-22  from jury service may not be used in preparing the record of names
   1-23  from which a jury list is selected, as provided by Section 62.108
    2-1  and 62.109;
    2-2              (3)  provide a fair, impartial, and objective method of
    2-3  selecting names of persons for jury service with the aid of
    2-4  electronic or mechanical equipment;
    2-5              (4)  designate the district clerk as the officer in
    2-6  charge of the selection process and define his duties;
    2-7              <(5)  specify that a true and complete written list of
    2-8  the names and addresses of persons summoned to begin jury service
    2-9  on a particular date shall be filed of record with the county clerk
   2-10  at least 10 days before that date;> and
   2-11              (5)  provide that the method of selection either will
   2-12  use the same record of names for the selection of persons for jury
   2-13  service until that record is exhausted or will use the same record
   2-14  of names for a period of time specified by the plan.
   2-15        (c)  The provisions of this subchapter relating to the
   2-16  selection of names of persons for jury service by the use of a jury
   2-17  wheel do not apply in a county that adopts a plan authorized by
   2-18  this section for the selection of names of prospective jurors by
   2-19  the use of electronic or mechanical equipment.
   2-20        (d)  A state agency or the secretary of state may not charge
   2-21  a fee for furnishing a list of names required by Section 62.001.
   2-22        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-23        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-1  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-2  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.