By Thompson                                           H.B. No. 1139
         76R1805 KEL-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to service as a grand juror and information associated
 1-3     with that service.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Article 19.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Art. 19.25.  EXCUSES FROM SERVICE.  Any person summoned who
 1-8     does not possess the requisite qualifications shall be excused by
 1-9     the court from serving.  The following qualified persons may be
1-10     excused from grand jury service:
1-11                 (1)  a person older than 70 [65] years;
1-12                 (2)  a person responsible for the care of a child
1-13     younger than 18 years;
1-14                 (3)  a student of a public or private secondary school;
1-15                 (4)  a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an
1-16     institution of higher education; and
1-17                 (5)  any other person that the court determines has a
1-18     reasonable excuse from service.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Chapter 19, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-20     amended by adding Article 19.42 to read as follows:
1-21           Art. 19.42.  PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT GRAND JURORS.
1-22     (a)  Information collected by the court, court personnel, or
1-23     prosecuting attorney during the grand jury selection process about
1-24     a person who serves as a grand juror, including the person's home
 2-1     address, home telephone number, social security number, driver's
 2-2     license number, and other personal information, is confidential and
 2-3     may not be disclosed by the court, court personnel, or prosecuting
 2-4     attorney except on application to the court in which the person is
 2-5     serving or did serve as a grand juror by:
 2-6                 (1)  a party to the proceeding; or
 2-7                 (2)  a bona fide member of the news media acting in
 2-8     that capacity.
 2-9           (b)  On a showing of good cause, the court shall permit
2-10     disclosure of the information sought.
2-11           SECTION 3.  Section 1 of this Act applies only to an
2-12     exemption from grand jury service for persons summoned on or after
2-13     that date to appear for service.  An exemption from grand jury
2-14     service for persons summoned before the effective date of this Act
2-15     to appear for service is covered by the law in effect when the
2-16     person was summoned, and that law is continued in effect for that
2-17     purpose.
2-18           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-19           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.