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.