Bill Text: TX HB1383 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to exemption of certain firefighters and police officers from jury service.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-23 - Left pending in committee [HB1383 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB1383-Introduced.html
  86R297 DMS-D
 
  By: Lozano H.B. No. 1383
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to exemption of certain firefighters and police officers
  from jury service.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 62.106(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may
  establish an exemption from jury service if the person:
               (1)  is over 70 years of age;
               (2)  has legal custody of a child younger than 12 years
  of age and the person's service on the jury requires leaving the
  child without adequate supervision;
               (3)  is a student of a public or private secondary
  school;
               (4)  is a person enrolled and in actual attendance at an
  institution of higher education;
               (5)  is an officer or an employee of the senate, the
  house of representatives, or any department, commission, board,
  office, or other agency in the legislative branch of state
  government;
               (6)  is summoned for service in a county with a
  population of at least 200,000, unless that county uses a jury plan
  under Section 62.011 and the period authorized under Section
  62.011(b)(5) exceeds two years, and the person has served as a petit
  juror in the county during the 24-month period preceding the date
  the person is to appear for jury service;
               (7)  is the primary caretaker of a person who is unable
  to care for himself or herself;
               (8)  except as provided by Subsection (b), is summoned
  for service in a county with a population of at least 250,000 and
  the person has served as a petit juror in the county during the
  three-year period preceding the date the person is to appear for
  jury service; [or]
               (9)  is a member of the United States military forces
  serving on active duty and deployed to a location away from the
  person's home station and out of the person's county of residence;
               (10)  is a firefighter, including a fire chief, who is
  a permanent, paid employee of the fire department of a municipality
  or county or of a special district or authority that provides
  firefighting services; or
               (11)  is a police officer, including a police chief,
  who is a permanent, paid employee of the police department of a
  municipality or county.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  the establishment of an exemption from jury service for a person
  summoned to appear for jury service on a date on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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