By:  Harris                                            S.B. No. 136
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to donations of juror reimbursements.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 61.003, Government Code, is amended to
 1-4     read as follows:
 1-5           Sec. 61.003.  DONATION OF REIMBURSEMENT.  (a)  Each
 1-6     prospective juror reporting for jury service shall be personally
 1-7     provided a form letter that when signed by the prospective juror
 1-8     directs the county treasurer to donate all of the prospective
 1-9     juror's reimbursement for jury service to:
1-10                 (1)  the compensation to victims of crime fund under
1-11     Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
1-12                 (2)  the child welfare board of the county appointed
1-13     under Section 264.005 [service fund under Chapter 264], Family
1-14     Code;
1-15                 (3)  any program selected by the commissioners court
1-16     that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and
1-17     that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
1-18     or
1-19                 (4)  any other program approved by the commissioners
1-20     court of the county.
1-21           (b)  The county treasurer or a designated county employee
1-22     shall collect each form letter directing the county treasurer to
1-23     donate a prospective juror's reimbursement for jury service.
1-24           (c)  The county treasurer shall:
 2-1                 (1)  send all donations made under Subsection (a)(1) to
 2-2     the comptroller, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the
 2-3     attorney general, for deposit to the credit of the compensation to
 2-4     victims of crime fund;
 2-5                 (2)  deposit donations made to the county child welfare
 2-6     board under Subsection (a)(2) in a fund established by the county
 2-7     to be used by the child welfare board in a manner authorized by the
 2-8     commissioners court of the county [send all donations made under
 2-9     Subsection (a)(2) to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of
2-10     the child welfare service fund in the state treasury]; and
2-11                 (3)  send all donations made under Subsection (a)(3) or
2-12     (a)(4) directly to the program specified on the form letter signed
2-13     by the prospective juror.
2-14           (d) [(c)]  Notwithstanding this section [Subsections (a) and
2-15     (b)], a juror reimbursement donation program established before
2-16     January 1, 1995, may solicit juror donations and provide all funds
2-17     collected in the name of that program to the charities served by
2-18     that program on January 1, 1995.
2-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
2-20     applies only to donations from jurors appearing in response to a
2-21     summons issued on or after that date.
2-22           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-25     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-26     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.