HBA-NMO H.B. 1139 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1139 By: Thompson Criminal Jurisprudence 2/24/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 75th Texas Legislature enacted legislation increasing the age at which a person may be excused from petit jury duty from 65 to 70 years. Current law also requires that personal information about petit jurors be kept confidential. H.B. 1139 increases the age for which a person may be excused from grand jury duty from 65 to 70 years and requires that personal information about grand jurors be kept confidential. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 19.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize a person older than 70, rather than 65, years to be excused from grand jury service. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 19, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding Article 19.42, as follows: Art. 19.42. PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT GRAND JURORS. Provides that personal information collected by the court, court personnel, or prosecuting attorney during the grand jury selection process about a person who serves as a grand juror is confidential and prohibits it from being disclosed except on application to the court by a party to the proceeding or a bona fide member of the news media acting in that capacity. Requires the court, on a showing of good cause, to permit disclosure of the sought information. SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 1 of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.