1-1     By:  Hartnett (Senate Sponsor - Harris)               H.B. No. 3650
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 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 reimbursement of expenses of jurors.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Sections 61.001(a), (b), and (c), Government
1-11     Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12           (a)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), each [Each] grand
1-13     juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal case in a district
1-14     court, criminal district court, county court, county court at law,
1-15     or justice court is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel
1-16     and other expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more than $50 for
1-17     each day or fraction of each day served as a juror.
1-18           (b)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), a [A] person who
1-19     responds to the process of a court but is excused from petit jury
1-20     service by the court for any cause after his voir dire examination
1-21     is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel and other
1-22     expenses an amount not less than $6 nor more than $50 for each day
1-23     or fraction of each day in attendance in court in response to the
1-24     process.
1-25           (c)(1)  The commissioners court of each county shall
1-26     determine annually the daily reimbursement of expenses for jurors.
1-27     Except as provided in Subdivisions (2) and (3), the [The]
1-28     reimbursement must be within the minimum and maximum amounts
1-29     prescribed by this section and paid out of the jury fund of the
1-30     county.
1-31                 (2)  The commissioners court may, in order to increase
1-32     the funds available to reimburse petit jurors or venirepersons who
1-33     serve longer than one day, reduce or eliminate the reimbursement
1-34     otherwise required under Subsections (a), (b), and (c)(1) for petit
1-35     jurors or venirepersons who are excused or discharged one day or
1-36     less after responding to summons.  Any amounts not paid to jurors
1-37     or venirepersons by virtue of this subdivision must be used solely
1-38     to supplement the reimbursement of petit jurors or venirepersons
1-39     who serve more than one day after responding to summons.
1-40                 (3)  In a specific case, the presiding judge, with the
1-41     agreement of the parties involved or their attorneys, may increase
1-42     the daily reimbursement for jurors in that case to an amount not to
1-43     exceed the maximum amount prescribed by this section.  The
1-44     difference between the usual daily reimbursement and the
1-45     reimbursement for jurors in a specific case shall be paid, in equal
1-46     amounts, by the parties involved in the case.
1-47           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-48     applies only to persons summoned for jury service after that date.
1-49           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-50     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-51     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-52     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-53     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-54                                  * * * * *