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.