HBA-GUM, RBT H.B. 3650 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3650
By: Hartnett
Judicial Affairs
7/27/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 76th Texas Legislature, Section 61.001, Government Code,
required counties to pay jurors a daily stipend ranging between $6 and $50
for each day of service.  Because most counties set the stipend at the
lower end of the scale, jury service often created significant financial
hardship for jurors, especially in trials lasting several days.  H.B. 3650
gives counties the discretion to reduce or eliminate the stipend for jurors
who serve or attend court for only one day and to thereby increase the
stipend for jurors who serve more than one day.   

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 Section 61.001, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 61.001.  REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES OF JURORS.  (a)  Makes no change.

(b)  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

(c)  Makes a conforming change.

(d)  Authorizes the commissioners court of a county to reduce or eliminate
the daily reimbursement prescribed by this section for persons who attend
court for only one day or a fraction of one day.  Authorizes the funds
retained by the county as a result of this subsection to only be used to
increase the daily reimbursement prescribed by this section for jurors and
for persons who attend court for more than one day. 

(e)-(f)  Redesignated from existing Subsections (d) and (e).

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
                       Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.