By Harris S.B. No. 136
76R3609 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to donations of juror reimbursements.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 61.003, Government Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 61.003. DONATION OF REIMBURSEMENT. (a) Each
1-7 prospective juror reporting for jury service shall be personally
1-8 provided a form letter that when signed by the prospective juror
1-9 directs the county treasurer to donate all of the prospective
1-10 juror's reimbursement for jury service to:
1-11 (1) the compensation to victims of crime fund under
1-12 Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
1-13 (2) the child welfare board of the county appointed
1-14 under Section 264.005, Family Code, or, if the county does not have
1-15 a child welfare board, the child welfare service fund under Chapter
1-16 264, Family Code;
1-17 (3) any program selected by the commissioners court
1-18 that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and
1-19 that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
1-20 or
1-21 (4) any other program approved by the commissioners
1-22 court of the county.
1-23 (b) The county treasurer shall collect each form letter
1-24 directing the county treasurer to donate a prospective juror's
2-1 reimbursement for jury service.
2-2 (c) The county treasurer shall:
2-3 (1) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(1) to
2-4 the comptroller, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the
2-5 attorney general, for deposit to the credit of the compensation to
2-6 victims of crime fund;
2-7 (2) deposit donations made to the county child welfare
2-8 board under Subsection (a)(2) in a fund established by the county
2-9 to be used by the child welfare board in a manner authorized by
2-10 the commissioners court of the county;
2-11 (3) send all donations made to the child welfare
2-12 service fund under Subsection (a)(2) to the comptroller for deposit
2-13 to the credit of the child welfare service fund in the state
2-14 treasury; and
2-15 (4) [(3)] send all donations made under Subsection
2-16 (a)(3) or (a)(4) directly to the program specified on the form
2-17 letter signed by the prospective juror.
2-18 (d) [(c)] Notwithstanding this section [Subsections (a) and
2-19 (b)], a juror reimbursement donation program established before
2-20 January 1, 1995, may solicit juror donations and provide all funds
2-21 collected in the name of that program to the charities served by
2-22 that program on January 1, 1995.
2-23 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
2-24 applies only to donations from jurors appearing in response to a
2-25 summons issued on or after that date.
2-26 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.