By Reyna of Dallas                                    H.B. No. 1701
         77R6063 YDB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the exemption from jury service of certain employees of
 1-3     a business entity.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 62.106(a), Government Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may
 1-8     establish an exemption from jury service if the person:
 1-9                 (1)  is over 70 years of age;
1-10                 (2)  has legal custody of a child younger than 10 years
1-11     of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the
1-12     child without adequate supervision;
1-13                 (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary
1-14     school;
1-15                 (4)  is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at
1-16     an institution of higher education;
1-17                 (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the
1-18     house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,
1-19     office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state
1-20     government;
1-21                 (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a
1-22     population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan
1-23     under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section
1-24     62.011(b)(5) exceeds two years, and the person has served as a
 2-1     petit juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the
 2-2     date the person is to appear for jury service;
 2-3                 (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is an
 2-4     invalid unable to care for himself;  [or]
 2-5                 (8)  except as provided by Subsection (b), is summoned
 2-6     for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and
 2-7     the person has served as a petit juror in the county during the
 2-8     three-year period preceding the date the person is to appear for
 2-9     jury service; or
2-10                 (9)  is an employee of a business entity and the entity
2-11     does not pay the person wages while the person is absent from work
2-12     because of jury service.
2-13           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
2-14     applies only to persons summoned to appear for jury service on or
2-15     after that date.