By Carona                                        S.B. No. 231

      75R1291 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to sources of names for the jury wheel.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 62.001(a) and (f), Government Code, are

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the

 1-7     source:

 1-8                 (1)  the names of all persons on the current voter

 1-9     registration lists from all the precincts in the county;  and

1-10                 (2)  all names on a current list to be furnished by the

1-11     Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county

1-12     who:

1-13                       (A)  hold a valid Texas driver's license or [and

1-14     the citizens of the county, other than persons who are disqualified

1-15     from jury service, who hold] a valid personal identification card

1-16     or certificate issued by the department; and

1-17                       (B)  are not disqualified from jury service under

1-18     Section 62.102(1), (2), or (7).

1-19           (f)  The Department of Public Safety shall furnish a list to

1-20     the secretary of state that shows the names required under

1-21     Subsection (a)(2) and that contains any of the information

1-22     enumerated in Subsection (c) that is available to the department,

1-23     including citizenship status and county of residence.  The list

 2-1     shall exclude the names of convicted felons and persons residing

 2-2     outside the county.  The department shall furnish the list on or

 2-3     before the first Monday in October of each year.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-5     applies only to lists furnished by the Department of Public Safety

 2-6     on or after the effective date of this Act.  Lists furnished by the

 2-7     Department of Public Safety before the effective date of this Act

 2-8     are governed by the law as it existed on the date the list was

 2-9     furnished, and the former law is continued in effect for that

2-10     purpose.

2-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.