1-1 By: Duncan S.B. No. 217
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 21, 1999; January 28, 1999,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
1-4 February 18, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas
1-5 7, Nays 0; February 18, 1999, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the exemption of certain persons from grand jury
1-9 service.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Article 19.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-12 amended to read as follows:
1-13 Art. 19.25. EXCUSES FROM SERVICE. Any person summoned who
1-14 does not possess the requisite qualifications shall be excused by
1-15 the court from serving. The following qualified persons may be
1-16 excused from grand jury service:
1-17 (1) a person older than 70 [65] years;
1-18 (2) a person responsible for the care of a child
1-19 younger than 18 years;
1-20 (3) a student of a public or private secondary school;
1-21 (4) a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an
1-22 institution of higher education; and
1-23 (5) any other person that the court determines has a
1-24 reasonable excuse from service.
1-25 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-26 applies only to an exemption from grand jury service for persons
1-27 summoned on or after that date to appear for service. An exemption
1-28 from grand jury service for persons summoned before the effective
1-29 date of this Act to appear for service is covered by the law in
1-30 effect when the person was summoned, and that law is continued in
1-31 effect for that purpose.
1-32 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-33 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-34 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-35 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-36 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-37 * * * * *