By: Birdwell S.B. No. 1179
(In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2021; March 18, 2021, read
first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs & Border
Security; April 1, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 1, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the procedure for donating juror reimbursements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(a) and (e), Government Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) After jury service is concluded, each [Each] person who
reported [reports] for jury service shall be personally provided a
form letter that when signed by the person directs the county
treasurer to donate all, or a specific amount designated by the
person, of the person's daily reimbursement under this chapter to:
(1) the compensation to victims of crime fund
established under Subchapter J, Chapter 56B, Code of Criminal
Procedure;
(2) the child welfare, child protective services, or
child services board of the county appointed under Section 264.005,
Family Code, that serves abused and neglected children;
(3) any program selected by the commissioners court
that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and
that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
(4) any other program approved by the commissioners
court of the county, including a program established under Article
56A.205, Code of Criminal Procedure, that offers psychological
counseling in criminal cases involving graphic evidence or
testimony; or
(5) a veterans treatment court program established by
the commissioners court as provided by Chapter 124.
(e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a county that has
adopted a system or method of payment authorized by Section
113.048, Local Government Code, may provide a person who reported
[reports] for jury service in the county an opportunity to donate
all, or a specific part designated by the juror, of the juror's
daily reimbursement by completing a self-executing application on a
form prescribed by the commissioners court that is provided after
jury service is concluded.
SECTION 2. 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 immediately before the
effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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