Bill Text: TX HB2015 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled


Bill Title: Relating to the exemption from jury service for persons over a certain age.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB2015 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB2015-Enrolled.html
 
 
  H.B. No. 2015
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the exemption from jury service for persons over a
  certain age.
         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 75 [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.
         SECTION 2.  Section 62.107(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  A person who files a statement with a clerk of the court,
  as provided by Subsection (a), claiming an exemption because the
  person is over 75 [70] years of age, may also claim the permanent
  exemption on that ground authorized by Section 62.108 by including
  in the statement filed with the clerk a declaration that the person
  desires the permanent exemption. Promptly after a statement
  claiming a permanent exemption on the basis of age is filed, the
  clerk of the court with whom it is filed shall have a copy delivered
  to the voter registrar of the county.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 62.108(a), (b), (c), and (e),
  Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person who is entitled to exemption from jury service
  because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may establish a
  permanent exemption on that ground as provided by this section or
  Section 62.107.
         (b)  A person may claim a permanent exemption:
               (1)  by filing with the voter registrar of the county,
  by mail or personal delivery, a signed statement affirming that the
  person is over 75 [70] years of age and desires a permanent
  exemption on that ground; or
               (2)  in the manner provided by Section 62.107(c).
         (c)  The voter registrar of the county shall maintain a
  current register indicating the name of each person who has claimed
  and is entitled to a permanent exemption from jury service because
  the person is over 75 [70] years of age.
         (e)  A person who has claimed a permanent exemption from jury
  service because the person is over 75 [70] years of age may rescind
  the exemption at any time by filing a signed request for the
  rescission with the voter registrar of the county. Rescission of a
  permanent exemption does not affect the right of a person who is
  over 75 [70] years of age to claim permanent exemption at a later
  time.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to
  appear for service on or after the effective date of this Act. An
  exemption from jury service for a person who is summoned to appear
  for service before the effective date of this Act is covered by the
  law in effect when the person was summoned, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2015 was passed by the House on April
  13, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 9, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2015 was passed by the Senate on May
  11, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 1.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor       
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