1-1 By: Hill (Senate Sponsor - Carona) H.B. No. 1754 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999; 1-3 May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Jurisprudence; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to summoning prospective jurors to justice court. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Section 62.016(e), Government Code, is amended to 1-11 read as follows: 1-12 (e) When impaneled, the prospective jurors constitute a 1-13 general jury panel for service as jurors in all justice, county, 1-14 and district courts in the county and shall be used interchangeably 1-15 in all of those courts. A county may summon jurors chosen for 1-16 service under this section to the justice court in the manner 1-17 prescribed by Section 62.412. 1-18 SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 62, Government Code, is 1-19 amended by adding Section 62.412 to read as follows: 1-20 Sec. 62.412. SUMMONING PROSPECTIVE JURORS DIRECTLY TO 1-21 JUSTICE COURT. (a) A county that uses interchangeable juries 1-22 under Section 62.016 may summon a prospective juror to report 1-23 directly to a justice court in the precinct in which that person 1-24 resides. 1-25 (b) The justice of the peace of the justice court to which 1-26 prospective jurors are summoned for jury service under this section 1-27 shall hear the excuses of the prospective jurors and swear them in 1-28 for jury service. 1-29 (c) A justice of the peace may command the sheriff or 1-30 constable to immediately summon additional persons for jury service 1-31 in the justice court if the number of qualified jurors, including 1-32 persons summoned under Section 62.016, is less than the number 1-33 necessary for the justice court to conduct its proceedings. 1-34 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-35 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-36 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-37 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-38 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-39 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-40 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-41 * * * * *