Texas 2013 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB3633 Comm Sub / Bill

                    83R19605 JRR-D
 By: Canales H.B. No. 3633
 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3633:
 By:  Herrero C.S.H.B. No. 3633


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to access to personal information about jurors in a
 criminal trial.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Article 35.29, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Art. 35.29.  PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT JURORS. (a)
 Information collected by the court or by a prosecuting attorney
 during the jury selection process about a person who serves as a
 juror, including the juror's home address, home telephone number,
 social security number, driver's license number, and other personal
 information, is confidential and may not be disclosed  by the court,
 the prosecuting attorney, [the defense] counsel representing the
 defendant at trial or in a postconviction proceeding, or any court
 personnel except as otherwise provided by this article.
 (b)  Information described by Subsection (a) may be
 disclosed to [on application by] a party in the trial or [on
 application by] a bona fide member of the news media acting in such
 capacity. The [to the court in which the person is serving or did
 serve as a juror. On a showing of good cause, the] court shall
 permit disclosure of the information only after an application for
 the information is made and good cause for receiving the
 information is shown [sought].
 (c)  On a written request, the court shall disclose the
 information described by Subsection (a) that was collected by the
 court, including providing copies of any juror summons, to counsel
 representing the defendant in a postconviction proceeding. A
 showing of good cause is not required for a disclosure under this
 subsection.  This subsection does not authorize the disclosure of
 information described by Subsection (a) that was collected by a
 prosecuting attorney.
 SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
 to a jury selected on or after the effective date of this Act. A
 jury selected before the effective date of this Act is governed by
 the law in effect on the date the jury was selected, and the former
 law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.