SRC-JXG H.B. 82 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 82
76R7040 JMC-FBy: Solomons (Ellis)
Jurisprudence
5/6/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Some citizens of a county are called upon several times within a year to
serve on a jury.  Others are not called upon for several years.  H.B. 82
would remove a person who appears for jury service, in a county with a
population of 250,000 or more, from the jury wheel for three years unless
the jury wheel has been reconstituted after the person served as a petit
juror. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 82 removes a person who appears for jury service, in a
county with a population of 250,000 or more, from the jury wheel for three
years, unless the jury wheel has been reconstituted after the person served
as a petit juror. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 62.001, Government Code, by amending Subsection
(i), and adding Subsection (j), as follows: 

(i) Deletes text regarding a county with a population of less than 105,000
in which the municipality with the largest population is located in more
than one county.  Makes a conforming change. 

(j) Requires the names of persons who are summoned for jury service in the
county and who appear for service to be removed from the jury wheel and may
not be maintained in the jury wheel until the third anniversary of the date
the person appeared for service or until the next date the jury wheel is
reconstituted, whichever date occurs earlier, in a county with a population
of 250,000 or more, notwithstanding Subsection (a).  Provides that this
subsection applies regardless of whether the person served on a jury as a
result of the summons.  

SECTION 2. Amends Section 62.106, Government Code, to authorize a person
qualified to serve as a petit juror to establish an exemption from jury
service if the person is summoned for service in a county with a population
of at least 250,000 and the person has served as a petit juror in the
county during the three-year period preceding the date the person is to
appear for jury service, except as provided by Subsection (b).  Provides
that Subsection (a)(8) does not apply if the jury wheel in the county has
been reconstituted after the date the person served as a petit juror.
Deletes text regarding children.  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.