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.