84R7146 MEW-F
By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 1861
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to reports to the Office of Court Administration of the
Texas Judicial System on the composition of grand and petit juries
in each county.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 71, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 71.0354 to read as follows:
Sec. 71.0354. GRAND AND PETIT JURY COMPOSITION; STATISTICS;
REPORT. (a) As a component of the official monthly report submitted
to the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System
under Section 71.035, a district court or county court at law shall
report:
(1) the number of persons summoned to serve as grand
jurors under Chapter 19, Code of Criminal Procedure, for each term
of court;
(2) the age, gender, and race of each person described
by Subdivision (1);
(3) the number of grand juries impaneled under Chapter
19, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(4) the age, gender, and racial composition of each
grand jury described by Subdivision (3);
(5) the number of persons summoned to serve as petit
jurors under Chapter 35, Code of Criminal Procedure, for each
applicable case before the court;
(6) the age, gender, and race of each person described
by Subdivision (5);
(7) the number of petit juries impaneled under Chapter
35, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(8) the age, gender, and racial composition of each
petit jury described by Subdivision (7).
(b) Not later than January 31 of each year, each county
shall submit to the office of court administration a report:
(1) comparing for the preceding calendar year the age,
gender, and racial composition of the county's grand and petit
juries with the age, gender, and racial demographics of the county;
and
(2) explaining any discrepancies between the two sets
of demographic information described by Subdivision (1).
(c) The office of court administration shall make each
report provided under Subsection (b) available to the public and
members of the press.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.