1-1 By: Oliveira (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 1886
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;
1-3 May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Jurisprudence; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to certain juror donations.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(a) and (b), Government Code, are
1-11 amended to read as follows:
1-12 (a) A person responsible under Section 62.013 or 62.014 for
1-13 summoning prospective jurors to appear for jury service shall
1-14 provide to each prospective juror a form letter that when signed by
1-15 the prospective juror directs the county treasurer to donate all or
1-16 part of the prospective juror's reimbursement for jury service to:
1-17 (1) the compensation to victims of crime fund under
1-18 Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
1-19 (2) the child welfare service fund under Chapter 264,
1-20 Family Code;
1-21 (3) any program selected by the commissioners court
1-22 that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and
1-23 that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
1-24 or
1-25 (4) any other program approved by the commissioners
1-26 court of the county.
1-27 (b) The county treasurer shall:
1-28 (1) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(1)
1-29 [this section] to the comptroller [state treasurer], at the time
1-30 and in the manner prescribed by the attorney general, for deposit
1-31 to the credit of the compensation to victims of crime fund;
1-32 (2) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(2) to
1-33 the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the child welfare
1-34 service fund in the state treasury; and
1-35 (3) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(3) or
1-36 (a)(4) directly to the program specified on the form letter signed
1-37 by the prospective juror.
1-38 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-39 applies only to a person responding to a summons issued on or after
1-40 that date.
1-41 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-42 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-43 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-44 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-45 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-46 * * * * *