By Garcia                                             H.B. No. 1324
         76R5939 PB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to termination of an employee who performs jury duty;
 1-3     providing a criminal penalty.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 122, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 122.0025 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 122.0025.  CRIMINAL PENALTY.  (a)  A person commits an
 1-8     offense if the person violates Section 122.001.
 1-9           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.
1-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-11     applies only to an employee termination that occurs on or after
1-12     that date.  A termination that occurs before that date is governed
1-13     by the law in effect on the date the termination occurred, and the
1-14     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.