By Goodman                                       H.B. No. 310

      75R1876 MWV-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to sources of names for a jury wheel.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 62.001(a), (c), and (d), Government

 1-5     Code, are amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using[,] as the

 1-7     source[:]

 1-8                 [(1)]  the names of all persons on the current voter

 1-9     registration lists from all the precincts in the county except as

1-10     provided by Subsection (d)[; and]

1-11                 [(2)  all names on a current list to be furnished by

1-12     the Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county

1-13     who hold a valid Texas driver's license and the citizens of the

1-14     county, other than persons who are disqualified from jury service,

1-15     who hold a valid personal identification card or certificate issued

1-16     by the department].

1-17           (c)  Each year not later than the third Tuesday in November

1-18     or the date provided by Section 16.032, Election Code, for the

1-19     cancellation of voter registrations, whichever is earlier, the

1-20     county tax assessor-collector, sheriff, county clerk, and district

1-21     clerk in each county shall meet at the county courthouse and shall

1-22     reconstitute the jury wheel for the county.  Each official may be

1-23     represented by a deputy [voter registrar of each county shall

1-24     furnish to the secretary of state a current voter registration list

 2-1     from all the precincts in the county that, except as provided by

 2-2     Subsection (d), includes:]

 2-3                 [(1)  the complete name, mailing address, date of

 2-4     birth, voter registration number, and precinct number for each

 2-5     voter;]

 2-6                 [(2)  if available, the Texas driver's license number

 2-7     or personal identification card or certificate number and social

 2-8     security number for each voter; and]

 2-9                 [(3)  any other information included on the voter

2-10     registration list of the county].

2-11           (d)  A jury wheel may exclude, at the option of the voter

2-12     registrar of each county, the names of persons on the suspense list

2-13     maintained under Section 15.081, Election Code [The list required

2-14     by Subsection (c) must exclude the names of convicted felons and

2-15     the names of persons exempt from jury service under Sections 62.108

2-16     and 62.109].

2-17           SECTION 2.  Sections 62.001(e)-(i), Government Code, are

2-18     repealed.

2-19           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-20           (b)  The changes in law made by this Act relating to jury

2-21     service apply only to persons summoned to appear for jury service

2-22     after a jury wheel has been constituted for the county under

2-23     Chapter 62, Government Code, as amended by this Act.  A jury wheel

2-24     constituted before the effective date of this Act may be used until

2-25     reconstitution of the jury wheel under Chapter 62, Government Code,

2-26     as amended by this Act.

2-27           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.