By Solomons                                            H.B. No. 235

      75R2156 RJA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to selection and service of jurors in certain counties.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 62.001, Government Code, is amended by

 1-5     adding Subsection (j) to read as follows:

 1-6           (j)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), in a county with a

 1-7     population of 250,000 or more, the names of persons who are

 1-8     summoned for jury service in the  county and who appear for service

 1-9     must be removed from the jury wheel and may not be maintained in

1-10     the jury wheel until the fourth anniversary of the date the person

1-11     appeared for service.  This subsection applies regardless of

1-12     whether the person served on a jury as a result of the summons.

1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 62.106, Government Code, is amended to

1-14     read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 62.106.  EXEMPTION FROM JURY SERVICE.  A person

1-16     qualified to serve as a petit juror may establish an exemption from

1-17     jury service if he:

1-18                 (1)  is over 65 years of age;

1-19                 (2)  has legal custody of a child or children younger

1-20     than 10 years of age and his service on the jury requires leaving

1-21     the child or children without adequate supervision;

1-22                 (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary

1-23     school;

1-24                 (4)  is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at

 2-1     an institution of higher education;

 2-2                 (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the

 2-3     house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,

 2-4     office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state

 2-5     government;

 2-6                 (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a

 2-7     population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan

 2-8     under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section

 2-9     62.011(b)(6) exceeds two years, and he has served as a petit juror

2-10     in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date he is

2-11     to appear for jury service; [or]

2-12                 (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is an

2-13     invalid unable to care for himself; or

2-14                 (8)  is summoned for service in a county with a

2-15     population of at least 250,000 and he has served as a petit juror

2-16     in the county during the five-year period preceding the date he is

2-17     to appear for jury service.

2-18           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-19           SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

2-20     persons summoned to appear for jury service on or after the

2-21     effective date of this Act.

2-22           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-25     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-26     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.