BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 562
80R5647 CAE-F By: Harris
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law allows for an exemption from jury service for a person who has served as a juror during the 24-month period prior to the date the person is called to appear in a county with a population of 200,000 or more. Those who have reported for jury service but were not selected to serve on a jury cannot claim this exemption even though they may have devoted substantial time to the selection process. As proposed, S.B. 562 changes the exemption to include not only those who have served as a petit juror, but those who reported and were available for service.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 62.106, Government Code, as follows:
Sec. 62.106. EXEMPTION FROM JURY SERVICE. (a) Authorizes a person qualified to serve as a petit juror to establish an exemption from jury service if the person, except as provided by Subsection (b), was previously summoned to appear in the same county during the 36-month period preceding the date the person is to appear as provided by the current summons. Applies the exemption under this subsection regardless of whether the person was selected to serve as a petit juror as a result of the previous summons, and the county in which the person is summoned to appear has a population of 1.4 million or more; and has within its boundaries at least two municipalities that each have a population of 300,000 or more. Makes conforming changes.
(b) Provides that Subsections (a)(8) and (a)(9) do not, rather than Subsection (a)(8) does not, apply if the jury wheel in the county has been reconstituted after the date the person served as a petit juror.
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2007.