75R10316 MLS-D                           

         By Dutton                                             H.B. No. 1504

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1504:

         By Gutierrez                                      C.S.H.B. No. 1504

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the reimbursement of jurors.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 61.001(a), (b), and (c), Government

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

 1-6           (a)  Each grand juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal

 1-7     case in a district court, criminal district court, county court,

 1-8     county court at law, or justice court is entitled to receive as

 1-9     reimbursement for travel and other expenses an amount not less than

1-10     $6 nor more than $50 [$30] for each day or fraction of each day

1-11     served as a juror.

1-12           (b)  A person who responds to the process of a court but is

1-13     excused from petit jury service by the court for any cause after

1-14     his voir dire examination is entitled to receive as reimbursement

1-15     for travel and other expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more

1-16     than $50 [$30] for each day or fraction of each day in attendance

1-17     in court in response to the process.

1-18           (c)  The commissioners court of each county shall determine

1-19     annually the daily reimbursement of expenses for jurors.  The

1-20     reimbursement must be within the minimum and maximum amounts

1-21     prescribed by this section and paid out of the jury fund of the

1-22     county.  In a specific case, the presiding judge, with the

1-23     agreement of the parties involved or their attorneys, may increase

1-24     the daily reimbursement for jurors in that case to an amount not to

 2-1     exceed the maximum amount prescribed by this section.  The

 2-2     difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the

 2-3     reimbursement for jurors in a specific case shall be paid, in equal

 2-4     amounts, by the parties involved in the case.

 2-5           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-6     applies only to a person serving on a jury under a summons issued

 2-7     on or after that date or responding to a jury summons issued on or

 2-8     after that date.

 2-9           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.