87R7611 ANG-D
 
  By: Herrero H.B. No. 2485
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the exemption of certain firefighters and police
  officers from jury service.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 62.106(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may
  establish an exemption from jury service if the person:
               (1)  is over 70 years of age;
               (2)  has legal custody of a child younger than 12 years
  of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the
  child without adequate supervision;
               (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary
  school;
               (4)  is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an
  institution of higher education;
               (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the
  house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,
  office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state
  government;
               (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a
  population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan
  under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section
  62.011(b)(5) exceeds two years, and the person has served as a petit
  juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date
  the person is to appear for jury service;
               (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is unable
  to care for himself or herself;
               (8)  except as provided by Subsection (b), is summoned
  for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and
  the person has served as a petit juror in the county during the
  three-year period preceding the date the person is to appear for
  jury service; [or]
               (9)  is a member of the United States military forces
  serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from the
  person's home station and out of the person's county of residence;
               (10)  is a firefighter, including a fire chief, who is
  a permanent, paid employee of the fire department of a municipality
  or county or of a special district or authority that provides
  firefighting services; or
               (11)  is a police officer, including a police chief,
  who is a permanent, paid employee of the police department of a
  municipality or county.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a person summoned to
  appear for jury service who is required to appear on or after the
  effective date of this Act. A person summoned to appear for jury
  service who is required to appear before the effective date of this
  Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the
  effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.