| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 397 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to methods of payment for reimbursement of jury service |
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| 6 | 6 | | expenses. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 113, Local Government |
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| 9 | 9 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 113.048 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 113.048. DISBURSEMENT OF MONEY FOR JURY SERVICE. |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter or |
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| 12 | 12 | | other law to the contrary, a county treasurer may disburse to a |
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| 13 | 13 | | person who reports for jury service and discharges the person's |
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| 14 | 14 | | duty the daily amount of reimbursement for jury service expenses |
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| 15 | 15 | | set by the commissioners court under Section 61.001, Government |
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| 16 | 16 | | Code, by: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) using an electronic funds transfer system in |
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| 18 | 18 | | accordance with Chapter 156; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) using a cash dispensing machine; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) issuing a debit card or a stored value card; or |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) using any other method that the county treasurer |
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| 22 | 22 | | and the commissioners court determine is secure, accurate, and |
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| 23 | 23 | | cost-effective and that is convenient for persons who report for |
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| 24 | 24 | | jury service. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) A system or method of payment adopted by a county |
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| 26 | 26 | | treasurer under Subsection (a) may be implemented only if it is |
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| 27 | 27 | | approved by the commissioners court and administered in accordance |
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| 28 | 28 | | with the procedures established by the county auditor or by the |
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| 29 | 29 | | chief financial officer of a county that does not have a county |
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| 30 | 30 | | auditor. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) A system or method of payment authorized by this section |
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| 32 | 32 | | may be used in lieu of or in addition to the issuance of warrants or |
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| 33 | 33 | | checks authorized under this subchapter. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Subsection (f), Section 61.001, Government Code, |
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| 35 | 35 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (f) A reimbursement for expenses under this section is not a |
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| 37 | 37 | | property right of a person who reports for jury service for purposes |
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| 38 | 38 | | of Chapters 72 and 74, Property Code. If a check, [or other] |
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| 39 | 39 | | instrument, or other method of payment authorized under Section |
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| 40 | 40 | | 113.048, Local Government Code, representing a reimbursement under |
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| 41 | 41 | | this section is not presented for payment or redeemed before the |
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| 42 | 42 | | 90th day after it is issued: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) the instrument or other method of payment is |
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| 44 | 44 | | considered forfeited and is void; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) the money represented by the instrument or other |
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| 46 | 46 | | method of payment may be placed or retained in the county's jury |
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| 47 | 47 | | fund, the county's general fund, or any other fund in which county |
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| 48 | 48 | | funds can be legally placed, at the discretion of the commissioners |
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| 49 | 49 | | court. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.003, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 51 | 51 | | adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a county that has |
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| 53 | 53 | | adopted a system or method of payment authorized by Section |
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| 54 | 54 | | 113.048, Local Government Code, may provide a person who reports |
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| 55 | 55 | | for jury service in the county an opportunity to donate all, or a |
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| 56 | 56 | | specific part designated by the juror, of the juror's daily |
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| 57 | 57 | | reimbursement by completing a self-executing application on a form |
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| 58 | 58 | | prescribed by the commissioners court. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 60 | 60 | | a disbursement for the reimbursement for jury service expenses on |
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| 61 | 61 | | or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 63 | 63 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 64 | 64 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 65 | 65 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 397 passed the Senate on |
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| 66 | 66 | | March 19, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 67 | 67 | | ______________________________ |
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| 68 | 68 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 69 | 69 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 397 passed the House on |
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| 70 | 70 | | May 27, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, one present |
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| 71 | 71 | | not voting. |
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| 72 | 72 | | ______________________________ |
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| 73 | 73 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 74 | 74 | | Approved: |
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| 75 | 75 | | ______________________________ |
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| 76 | 76 | | Date |
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| 77 | 77 | | ______________________________ |
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| 78 | 78 | | Governor |
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