By Dutton                                       H.B. No. 1504

      75R6275 MLS-D                           

                                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) and (b), Government Code, are

 1-5     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 $50 [an amount not less

1-10     than $6 nor more than $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 $50 [an amount not less than $6 nor

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

1-17     in court in response to the process.

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

1-19     applies only to a person serving on a jury under a summons issued

1-20     on or after that date or responding to a jury summons issued on or

1-21     after that date.

1-22           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

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