By Oliveira                                     H.B. No. 1886

      75R6565 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain juror donations.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 61.003(a) and (b), Government Code, are

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  A person responsible under Section 62.013 or 62.014 for

 1-7     summoning prospective jurors to appear for jury service shall

 1-8     provide to each prospective juror a form letter that when signed by

 1-9     the prospective juror directs the county treasurer to donate all or

1-10     part of the prospective juror's reimbursement for jury service to:

1-11                 (1)  the compensation to victims of crime fund under

1-12     Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;

1-13                 (2)  the child welfare service fund under Chapter 264,

1-14     Family Code; or

1-15                 (3)  any program selected by the commissioners court

1-16     that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and

1-17     that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence.

1-18           (b)  The county treasurer shall:

1-19                 (1)  send all donations made under Subsection (a)(1)

1-20     [this section] to the comptroller [state treasurer], at the time

1-21     and in the manner prescribed by the attorney general, for deposit

1-22     to the credit of the compensation to victims of crime fund;

1-23                 (2)  send all donations made under Subsection (a)(2) to

1-24     the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the child welfare

 2-1     service fund in the state treasury; and

 2-2                 (3)  send all donations made under Subsection (a)(3)

 2-3     directly to the program specified on the form letter signed by the

 2-4     prospective juror.

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

 2-6     applies only to a person responding to a summons issued on or after

 2-7     that date.

 2-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.