By: Rodriguez S.B. No. 1195
(Quintanilla)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to postponement of jury service in certain counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 62, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 62.0147 to read as follows:
Sec. 62.0147. MEANS OF POSTPONEMENT OF JURY SERVICE IN
CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a county that
has:
(1) a council of judges composed of the judges of the
district courts and county courts at law; and
(2) a designated jury duty court that addresses
administrative matters related to jury service paid for by the
county.
(b) A person summoned for jury service may request a
postponement of the person's initial appearance for jury service.
The person may request the postponement by contacting the council
of judges' designee, in person, in writing, or by telephone before
the date on which the person is summoned to appear.
(c) On receipt of a request under Subsection (b), the
council of judges' designee shall grant the person a postponement
if:
(1) the person has not been granted a postponement in
that county since the date on which the jury wheel from which the
person was selected to appear was most recently reconstituted; and
(2) the designee and the person determine a substitute
date on which the person will appear for jury service that is not
later than six months after the date on which the person was
originally summoned to appear.
(d) A person who is granted a postponement under Subsection
(c) may request additional postponements in the manner described by
Subsection (b). The council of judges' designee may grant an
additional postponement if the designee and the person determine
that the person has a legitimate reason for the postponement.
Before the designee may grant the additional postponement, the
designee and the person must determine a date on which the person
will appear for jury service that is not later than six months after
the date on which the person was to appear after the later of the
date of:
(1) a postponement under Subsection (c); or
(2) the last postponement granted under this
subsection.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a person summoned to appear for jury service who is required to
appear on or after the effective date of this Act. A person
summoned to appear for jury service who is required to appear before
the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
the date the person is required to appear, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.