HBA-ATS, RBT H.B. 82 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 82
By: Solomons
Judicial Affairs
6/2/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Some citizens of a county are called upon several times within a year to
serve on a jury.  Others are not called upon for several years.  H.B. 82
removes a person who appears for jury service in a county with a population
of 250,000 or more from the jury wheel for three years unless the jury
wheel has been reconstituted after the person served as a petit juror.
This bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to require each
applicant for an original, renewal, or duplicate driver's license to
furnish to it the following information: whether the applicant is a U.S.
citizen and the county of residence of the applicant. 

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 62.001, Government Code, by amending Subsections
(f) and (i) and adding Subsection (j), as follows: 

(f) Includes the names of persons who are not U.S. citizens and the
duplicate name of any registrant as pieces of information that are required
to be excluded from the jury-wheel list furnished to the secretary of the
state by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).  Makes a conforming change. 

(i) Deletes language limiting the application of Subsection (i) to a county
with a population of less than 105,000 in which the municipality with the
largest population is located in more than one county.  Includes the date
of birth, county of residence, and citizenship status, in addition to the
address, of each person listed in the jury-wheel list or the voter
registration list as information that each list must contain.  Deletes the
age and citizenship of each person as information that each must contain,
if practical. 

(j) Provides that a person who is summoned and appears for jury service in
a county with a population of 250,000 or more must be removed from the jury
wheel for three years unless the jury wheel is reconstituted.  Provides
that this provision applies whether or not the person actually served on a
jury. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 62.106, Government Code, to authorize a person
to establish an exemption from jury service if the person 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 in the last three years unless
the jury wheel is reconstituted after the person served as a petit juror. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 521.142(c), Transportation Code, to include
whether the applicant for an original driver's license is a U.S. citizen
and the county of residence of the applicant as information needed to be
stated on the application for an original license. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 521.1425, Transportation Code, as follows:

 (a) Provides an exception to the application of Subsection (a).

(b) Requires DPS to require each applicant for an original, renewal, or
duplicate driver's license to furnish to it the following information:
whether the applicant is a U.S. citizen and the county of residence of the
applicant. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 6.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 7.  Emergency clause.