1-1 By: Dutton (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 1504
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;
1-3 April 22, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; April 29, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 29, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the reimbursement of jurors.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Sections 61.001(a), (b), and (c), Government
1-11 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12 (a) Each grand juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal
1-13 case in a district court, criminal district court, county court,
1-14 county court at law, or justice court is entitled to receive as
1-15 reimbursement for travel and other expenses an amount not less than
1-16 $6 nor more than $50 [$30] for each day or fraction of each day
1-17 served as a juror.
1-18 (b) A person who responds to the process of a court but is
1-19 excused from petit jury service by the court for any cause after
1-20 his voir dire examination is entitled to receive as reimbursement
1-21 for travel and other expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more
1-22 than $50 [$30] for each day or fraction of each day in attendance
1-23 in court in response to the process.
1-24 (c) The commissioners court of each county shall determine
1-25 annually the daily reimbursement of expenses for jurors. The
1-26 reimbursement must be within the minimum and maximum amounts
1-27 prescribed by this section and paid out of the jury fund of the
1-28 county. In a specific case, the presiding judge, with the
1-29 agreement of the parties involved or their attorneys, may increase
1-30 the daily reimbursement for jurors in that case to an amount not to
1-31 exceed the maximum amount prescribed by this section. The
1-32 difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the
1-33 reimbursement for jurors in a specific case shall be paid, in equal
1-34 amounts, by the parties involved in the case.
1-35 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-36 applies only to a person serving on a jury under a summons issued
1-37 on or after that date or responding to a jury summons issued on or
1-38 after that date.
1-39 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-40 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-41 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-42 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-43 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-44 * * * * *