1-1 By: Carona S.B. No. 231
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 16, 1997; January 21, 1997,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
1-4 February 12, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas
1-5 7, Nays 0; February 12, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to sources of names for the jury wheel.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (f), Section 62.001,
1-11 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12 (a) The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the
1-13 source:
1-14 (1) the names of all persons on the current voter
1-15 registration lists from all the precincts in the county; and
1-16 (2) all names on a current list to be furnished by the
1-17 Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county
1-18 who:
1-19 (A) hold a valid Texas driver's license or [and
1-20 the citizens of the county, other than persons who are disqualified
1-21 from jury service, who hold] a valid personal identification card
1-22 or certificate issued by the department; and
1-23 (B) are not disqualified from jury service under
1-24 Section 62.102(1), (2), or (7).
1-25 (f) The Department of Public Safety shall furnish a list to
1-26 the secretary of state that shows the names required under
1-27 Subsection (a)(2) and that contains any of the information
1-28 enumerated in Subsection (c) that is available to the department,
1-29 including citizenship status and county of residence. The list
1-30 shall exclude the names of convicted felons and persons residing
1-31 outside the county. The department shall furnish the list on or
1-32 before the first Monday in October of each year.
1-33 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and
1-34 applies only to lists furnished by the Department of Public Safety
1-35 of the State of Texas on or after the effective date of this Act.
1-36 Lists furnished by the department before the effective date of this
1-37 Act are governed by the law as it existed on the date the list was
1-38 furnished, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-39 purpose.
1-40 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-41 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-42 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-43 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-44 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-45 * * * * *