BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1204
80R3415 KFF-D By: Giddings (West)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, a juror is authorized to donate all of the juror's per diem payment for jury duty to the county. The counties use this money for the compensation to the victims of crime fund, the child welfare board, battered women's shelters, safe houses, and other programs approved by the county's commissioners court. However, some jurors have not wanted to donate the entirety of their per diem since per diem rates were increased to $40 per day after the first day of jury duty.
H.B. 1204 authorizes a juror to designate a portion of the juror's per diem payment to be donated.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.003, Government Code, by amending Subsection (a), and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:
(a) Requires all, or a specific amount designated by the prospective juror, of a juror's daily reimbursement for jury service to be donated to certain programs approved by the county's commissioners court when a form letter directing the county treasurer to do so is signed by a prospective juror.
(a-1) Requires the form letter provided under Subsection (a) to include a blank in which a prospective juror may enter the amount of the daily reimbursement that the juror wishes to donate.
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2007.