By: Carona, Nelson S.B. No. 231
West
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to sources of names for the jury wheel.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (f), Section 62.001,
1-4 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-5 (a) The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the
1-6 source:
1-7 (1) the names of all persons on the current voter
1-8 registration lists from all the precincts in the county; and
1-9 (2) all names on a current list to be furnished by the
1-10 Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county
1-11 who:
1-12 (A) hold a valid Texas driver's license or [and
1-13 the citizens of the county, other than persons who are disqualified
1-14 from jury service, who hold] a valid personal identification card
1-15 or certificate issued by the department; and
1-16 (B) are not disqualified from jury service under
1-17 Section 62.102(1), (2), or (7).
1-18 (f) The Department of Public Safety shall furnish a list to
1-19 the secretary of state that shows the names required under
1-20 Subsection (a)(2) and that contains any of the information
1-21 enumerated in Subsection (c) that is available to the department,
1-22 including citizenship status and county of residence. The list
1-23 shall exclude the names of convicted felons and persons residing
2-1 outside the county. The department shall furnish the list on or
2-2 before the first Monday in October of each year.
2-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
2-4 applies only to lists furnished by the Department of Public Safety
2-5 of the State of Texas on or after the effective date of this Act.
2-6 Lists furnished by the department before the effective date of this
2-7 Act are governed by the law as it existed on the date the list was
2-8 furnished, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-9 purpose.
2-10 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.