By Hartnett                                           H.B. No. 3650
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to reimbursement of expenses of jurors.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 61.001(a), (b), and (c), Government
 1-5     Code, are amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (a)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), each [Each] grand
 1-7     juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal case in a district
 1-8     court, criminal district court, county court, county court at law,
 1-9     or justice court is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel
1-10     and other expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more than $50 for
1-11     each day or fraction of each day served as a juror.
1-12           (b)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), a [A] person who
1-13     responds to the process of a court but is excused from petit jury
1-14     service by the court for any cause after his voir dire examination
1-15     is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel and other
1-16     expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more than $50 for each day
1-17     or fraction of each day in attendance in court in response to the
1-18     process.
1-19           (c)(1)  The commissioners court of each county shall
1-20     determine annually the daily reimbursement of expenses for jurors.
1-21     Except as provided in Subdivisions (2) and (3), the [The]
1-22     reimbursement must be within the minimum and maximum amounts
1-23     prescribed by this section and paid out of the jury fund of the
1-24     county.
 2-1                 (2)  The commissioners court may, in order to increase
 2-2     the funds available to reimburse petit jurors or venirepersons who
 2-3     serve longer than one day, reduce or eliminate the reimbursement
 2-4     otherwise required under Subsections (a), (b), and (c)(1) for petit
 2-5     jurors or venirepersons who are excused or discharged one day or
 2-6     less after responding to summons.  Any amounts not paid to jurors
 2-7     or venirepersons by virtue of this subdivision must be used solely
 2-8     to supplement the reimbursement of petit jurors or venirepersons
 2-9     who serve more than one day after responding to summons.
2-10                 (3)  In a specific case, the presiding judge, with the
2-11     agreement of the parties involved or their attorneys, may increase
2-12     the daily reimbursement for jurors in that case to an amount not to
2-13     exceed the maximum amount prescribed by this section.  The
2-14     difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the
2-15     reimbursement for jurors in a specific case shall be paid, in equal
2-16     amounts, by the parties involved in the case.
2-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
2-18     applies only to persons summoned for jury service after that date.
2-19           SECTION 3.  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.