BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 560

By: Dutton

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties report that the qualifications to serve as a grand juror include the requirement that a person must not have recently served as a grand juror. The parties suggest that, although there have been previous efforts to lengthen the amount of time between a person's service on grand juries, this period of disqualification has remained too short. More recently, the parties observe, public confidence in the grand jury process has been shaken as the general public became aware that many persons were serving multiple terms on grand juries. H.B. 560 seeks to address this issue. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 560 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to extend, for purposes of qualifying for service as a grand juror, the period of time during which a person must not have previously served as a grand juror from one year preceding the date on which the term of court for which the person has been selected as a grand juror begins to two years preceding that date. The bill applies to qualifications for grand jury service for a person required to appear for grand jury service by a summons made on or after September 1, 2015.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.