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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY MATZIE, D. COSTA, HOUGHTON, KORTZ, M. O'BRIEN, WAGNER AND GIBBONS, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the |
2 | Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for |
3 | compensation of and travel allowance for jurors. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | Section 1. Section 4561 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania |
7 | Consolidated Statutes is amended to read: |
8 | § 4561. Compensation of and travel allowance for jurors. |
9 | (a) Compensation.--[A person summoned to serve as a juror |
10 | shall receive compensation at the rate of $9 a day for the first |
11 | three days in any calendar year he shall be required to report |
12 | for service and $25 a day for each day thereafter in such |
13 | calendar year that such person is required to report. In |
14 | addition, persons so summoned shall be paid a travel allowance |
15 | at the rate of 17ยข per mile circular except that no travel |
16 | allowance shall be paid in the first judicial district.] |
17 | Employers shall pay a person summoned to serve as a juror at his |
18 | ordinary wage or salary each day he is required to report for |
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1 | service. The Commonwealth shall grant a tax credit to the |
2 | employer for the amount expended in the same calendar year. |
3 | (a.1) Unemployed persons.--Unemployed persons shall be |
4 | compensated using the appropriate rate of unemployment |
5 | compensation. |
6 | (a.2) Self-employed persons.--The Commonwealth shall grant a |
7 | self-employed person or a person whose sole means of income is |
8 | commission a tax credit equal to the juror's monthly income in |
9 | the previous year. |
10 | (a.3) Parking.--A person summoned to serve as a juror shall |
11 | be given a parking voucher for a nearby parking facility. |
12 | (b) State reimbursement.--[The Commonwealth shall reimburse |
13 | each county 80% of the amount expended by the county for such |
14 | compensation and travel allowance beyond the first three days of |
15 | service if the juror is participating in a trial or in grand |
16 | jury proceedings.] Persons summoned to serve as a juror shall be |
17 | paid a travel allowance at the rate provided by current IRS |
18 | regulations, except that no travel allowance shall be paid in |
19 | the first judicial district. Application for reimbursement shall |
20 | be made by the county to the State Treasurer through the |
21 | Administrative Office pursuant to procedures prescribed by said |
22 | office. As used in this section, trial participation shall |
23 | include voir dire examination only if such examination shall |
24 | have commenced prior to the juror's fourth day of service. |
25 | (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "jurors" |
26 | does not apply to those persons summoned to serve on a |
27 | multicounty investigating grand jury who are reimbursed under |
28 | section 4553(b) (relating to expenses of investigating grand |
29 | juries and trials resulting therefrom). |
30 | Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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