Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            H.B. No. 2015
         
               AN ACT
            
            relating to the exemption from jury service for persons over a 
         
            certain age.
         
                   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 75 [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.
         
                   SECTION 2.  Section 62.107(c), Government Code, is amended 
         
            to read as follows:
         
                   (c)  A person who files a statement with a clerk of the court, 
         
            as provided by Subsection (a), claiming an exemption because the 
         
            person is over 75 [70] years of age, may also claim the permanent 
         
            exemption on that ground authorized by Section 62.108 by including 
         
            in the statement filed with the clerk a declaration that the person 
         
            desires the permanent exemption.  Promptly after a statement 
         
            claiming a permanent exemption on the basis of age is filed, the 
         
            clerk of the court with whom it is filed shall have a copy delivered 
         
            to the voter registrar of the county.
         
                   SECTION 3.  Sections 62.108(a), (b), (c), and (e), 
         
            Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
         
                   (a)  A person who is entitled to exemption from jury service 
         
            because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may establish a 
         
            permanent exemption on that ground as provided by this section or 
         
            Section 62.107.
         
                   (b)  A person may claim a permanent exemption:
         
                         (1)  by filing with the voter registrar of the county, 
         
            by mail or personal delivery, a signed statement affirming that the 
         
            person is over 75 [70] years of age and desires a permanent 
         
            exemption on that ground; or
         
                         (2)  in the manner provided by Section 62.107(c).
         
                   (c)  The voter registrar of the county shall maintain a 
         
            current register indicating the name of each person who has claimed 
         
            and is entitled to a permanent exemption from jury service because 
         
            the person is over 75 [70] years of age.
         
                   (e)  A person who has claimed a permanent exemption from jury 
         
            service because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may rescind 
         
            the exemption at any time by filing a signed request for the 
         
            rescission with the voter registrar of the county.  Rescission of a 
         
            permanent exemption does not affect the right of a person who is 
         
            over 75 [70] years of age to claim permanent exemption at a later 
         
            time.
         
                   SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies only 
         
            to an exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to 
         
            appear for service on or after the effective date of this Act.  An 
         
            exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to appear 
         
            for service before the effective date of this Act is covered by the 
         
            law in effect when the person was summoned, and that law is 
         
            continued in effect for that p
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)
House Committee Report: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)
Engrossed: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)
Senate Committee Report: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)
Enrolled: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)




	AN ACT
	relating to the exemption from jury service for persons over a
	certain age.
	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 75 [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.
	SECTION 2. Section 62.107(c), Government Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(c) A person who files a statement with a clerk of the court,
	as provided by Subsection (a), claiming an exemption because the
	person is over 75 [70] years of age, may also claim the permanent
	exemption on that ground authorized by Section 62.108 by including
	in the statement filed with the clerk a declaration that the person
	desires the permanent exemption. Promptly after a statement
	claiming a permanent exemption on the basis of age is filed, the
	clerk of the court with whom it is filed shall have a copy delivered
	to the voter registrar of the county.
	SECTION 3. Sections 62.108(a), (b), (c), and (e),
	Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a) A person who is entitled to exemption from jury service
	because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may establish a
	permanent exemption on that ground as provided by this section or
	Section 62.107.
	(b) A person may claim a permanent exemption:
	(1) by filing with the voter registrar of the county,
	by mail or personal delivery, a signed statement affirming that the
	person is over 75 [70] years of age and desires a permanent
	exemption on that ground; or
	(2) in the manner provided by Section 62.107(c).
	(c) The voter registrar of the county shall maintain a
	current register indicating the name of each person who has claimed
	and is entitled to a permanent exemption from jury service because
	the person is over 75 [70] years of age.
	(e) A person who has claimed a permanent exemption from jury
	service because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may rescind
	the exemption at any time by filing a signed request for the
	rescission with the voter registrar of the county. Rescission of a
	permanent exemption does not affect the right of a person who is
	over 75 [70] years of age to claim permanent exemption at a later
	time.
	SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to an exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to
	appear for service on or after the effective date of this Act. An
	exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to appear
	for service before the effective date of this Act is covered by the
	law in effect when the person was summoned, and that law is
	continued in effect for that p Statutes affected: Introduced: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62) House Committee Report: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62) Engrossed: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62) Senate Committee Report: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62) Enrolled: Government Code 62.106, Government Code 62.107, Government Code 62.108 (Government Code 62)