BWH C.S.H.B. 1504 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS COUNTY AFFAIRS C.S.H.B. 1504 By: Dutton 4-2-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Under current law, petit jurors and grand jurors are reimbursed travel and other expenses. The rates ranging from $6.00 to $30.00 for each day or fraction of each day served. This reimbursement rarely ever covers the parking cost for a juror. The resulting affect is that many persons are unwilling to serve and many times do not serve. The jury system works when all citizen can serve without incurring a server financial hardship. PURPOSE To increase the possible reimbursement for jurors to $50.00 per day. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Section 61.001, Government Code is amended as follows: 1) In Subsections (a) and (b) by striking $30 and replacing it with $50; and 2) Amending Subsection (c) to allow the presiding judge and the attorneys in a specific case to set the rate of pay for the jurors, with the difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the reimbursement for jurors in a specific case be paid by the parties involved in the case.. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1504 makes the following changes to SECTION 1 of the original: 1) The substitute reinstates the $6 minimum on compensation in Subsections (a) and (b); and 2) The substitute amends Subsection 61.001(c) by adding language to allow the presiding judge and the attorneys in a specific case to set the rate of pay for the jurors, with the difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the reimbursement for jurors in a specific case be paid by the parties involved in the case.