LCA-HBA S.B. 230 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS

Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 230
By: Ellis
Judicial Affairs
4/22/1999
Engrossed


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is no uniform jury summons for all counties in Texas.  The
Texas Supreme Court Jury Task Force has studied the issue of jury summons,
and recommended that all counties use the same type and style of jury
summons in order to provide the same information to all prospective jurors.
S.B. 230 requires the Office of Court Administration to develop and
maintain a model for a uniform written jury summons and an accompanying
questionnaire. 

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 62, Government Code, by adding
Sections 62.0131 and 62.0132, as follows: 

Sec. 62.0131.  FORM OF WRITTEN JURY SUMMONS.  (a)  Requires the Office of
Court Administration (office) to develop and maintain a model for a uniform
written jury summons.   

(b) Provides that the model must include exemptions and restrictions
governing jury service under Subchapter B.   

(c) Provides that a written jury summons must conform with the model
established under this section.   

(d)  Requires the office to solicit and consider the opinions of the
members of the judiciary, district attorneys, and clerks in developing and
maintaining the model. 

Sec. 62.0132.  WRITTEN JURY SUMMONS QUESTIONNAIRE.  (a)  Requires the
office to develop and maintain a questionnaire to accompany a written jury
summons.   

(b)   Provides that a written jury summons must include a copy of the
questionnaire. 

(c)  Requires a person to provide certain biographical and demographic
information that is relevant to service as a jury member.  Sets forth
information required on the questionnaire, including name, sex, race, age,
education level, occupation, place of employment, marital status, place of
employment of spouse, citizenship status, and county of residence. 

(d)  Requires a person who has received a written jury summons and a
written jury summons questionnaire to complete and submit the questionnaire
when the person reports for jury duty.   

(e)  Requires the office to solicit and consider the opinion of members of
the judiciary, district attorneys and clerks in developing and maintaining
the questionnaire.   

 (f)  Provides that information contained in the completed questionnaire is
confidential, and not subject to Chapter 932 , Government Code (Public
Information) except as provided by Subsection (g).   

(g)  Sets forth that the information contained in a completed questionnaire
may be disclosed, including the judge assigned to hear a cause of action in
which the respondent is a potential juror, court personnel, and a litigant
or litigant's attorney in a cause of action in which the respondent is a
potential juror. 

SECTION 2.  (a)  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

(b)  Requires the Office of Court Administration to complete the model for
the summons and the questionnaire required by this Act not later than
October 1, 2000, and to distribute the model and questionnaire not later
than November 1, 2000. 

(c)  Requires a county to conform its written jury summons to the model
developed under this Act not later than January 1, 2001.  Requires a county
to include the questionnaire developed under this Act with its written jury
summons not later than January 1, 2001. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.