By Hinojosa                                           H.B. No. 2417
         76R6374 DB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to allowing a county to reconstitute the jury wheel solely
 1-3     with voters who are registered in the county.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 62.001, Government Code, is amended by
 1-6     amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (j) to read
 1-7     as follows:
 1-8           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (j), the [The] jury
 1-9     wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the source:
1-10                 (1)  the names of all persons on the current voter
1-11     registration lists from all the precincts in the county; and
1-12                 (2)  all names on a current list to be furnished by the
1-13     Department of Public Safety, showing the citizens of the county
1-14     who:
1-15                       (A)  hold a valid Texas driver's license or a
1-16     valid personal identification card or certificate issued by the
1-17     department; and
1-18                       (B)  are not disqualified from jury service under
1-19     Section 62.102(1), (2), or (7).
1-20           (b)  Notwithstanding Subsections [Subsection] (a) and (j),
1-21     the names of persons listed on a register of persons exempt from
1-22     jury service may not be placed in the jury wheel, as provided by
1-23     Sections 62.108 and 62.109.
1-24           (j)  On approval of the commissioners court, a jury wheel may
 2-1     be reconstituted by using, as the only source, the names of all
 2-2     persons on the current voter registration lists from all precincts
 2-3     in the county.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-5           (b)  The changes in the law made by this Act relating to jury
 2-6     service apply only to persons summoned to appear for jury service
 2-7     after a jury wheel has been constituted for the county under
 2-8     Chapter 62, Government Code, as amended by this Act.  A jury wheel
 2-9     constituted before the effective date of this Act may be used until
2-10     reconstitution of the jury wheel under Chapter 62, Government Code,
2-11     as amended by this Act.
2-12           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.