By Garcia H.B. No. 950
77R1991 JMC-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to juror reimbursement.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 61.001(a) and (b), Government Code, are
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) Each grand juror or petit juror in a civil or criminal
1-7 case in a district court, criminal district court, county court,
1-8 county court at law, or justice court is entitled to receive as
1-9 reimbursement for travel and other expenses an amount not less than
1-10 $40 [$6] nor more than $50 for each day or fraction of each day
1-11 served as a juror.
1-12 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), 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 the person's voir dire
1-15 examination is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel and
1-16 other expenses an amount not less than $40 [$6] nor more than $50
1-17 for each day or fraction of each day in attendance in court in
1-18 response to the process.
1-19 SECTION 2. Chapter 61, Government Code, is amended by adding
1-20 Section 61.004 to read as follows:
1-21 Sec. 61.004. JUROR REIMBURSEMENT FEE. (a) The clerk of each
1-22 district court, county court, county court at law, and justice
1-23 court shall collect a fee of $10 as a cost of court in each civil
1-24 case filed with the clerk. The fee shall be collected at the time
2-1 of filing.
2-2 (b) The clerk shall collect the fee in the manner provided
2-3 for other court costs and shall deliver the fee to the treasurer,
2-4 or the person who performs the duties of the treasurer, of the
2-5 county in which the court sits. The county treasurer, or the
2-6 person who performs the duties of the county treasurer, shall
2-7 deposit the fees received in the general fund of the county to be
2-8 used only to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred by jurors
2-9 and persons who attend court in response to jury summons in a
2-10 district court, county court, county court at law, or justice court
2-11 in the county.
2-12 SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is
2-13 amended by adding Section 72.029 to read as follows:
2-14 Sec. 72.029. JUROR REIMBURSEMENT REPORT. The office shall
2-15 review the reimbursement provided to jurors and persons who attend
2-16 court in response to jury summons in district courts, county
2-17 courts, county courts at law, and justice courts and, not later
2-18 than January 1 of every fourth year, report the results of the
2-19 review to the legislature.
2-20 SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal
2-21 Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.015 to read as follows:
2-22 Art. 102.015. COURT COSTS: JUROR REIMBURSEMENT. (a) A
2-23 defendant who is convicted of or who receives deferred adjudication
2-24 for an offense in a district court, county court, county court at
2-25 law, or justice court shall pay as a cost of court a fee of $10.
2-26 (b) The clerk of each court shall collect the fee in the
2-27 manner provided for other court costs and shall deliver the fee to
3-1 the treasurer, or the person who performs the duties of the
3-2 treasurer, of the county in which the court sits. The county
3-3 treasurer, or the person who performs the duties of the county
3-4 treasurer, shall deposit the fees received in the general fund of
3-5 the county to be used only to provide reimbursement for expenses
3-6 incurred by jurors and persons who attend court in response to jury
3-7 summons in a district court, county court, county court at law, or
3-8 justice court in the county.
3-9 SECTION 5. (a) The change in law made by Section 1 of this
3-10 Act applies only to a person serving on a jury under a summons
3-11 issued on or after the effective date of this Act or responding to
3-12 a jury summons issued on or after the effective date of this Act.
3-13 (b) The change in law made by Section 2 of this Act applies
3-14 only to filing fees for civil cases filed on or after the effective
3-15 date of this Act.
3-16 (c) The change in law made by Section 4 of this Act applies
3-17 only to a conviction or a grant of deferred adjudication for an
3-18 offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. A
3-19 conviction or a grant of deferred adjudication for an offense
3-20 committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the
3-21 law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is
3-22 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this
3-23 subsection, an offense was committed before the effective date of
3-24 this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
3-25 SECTION 6. The first report required by Section 72.029,
3-26 Government Code, as added by this Act, shall be submitted to the
3-27 legislature not later than January 1, 2005.
4-1 SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.