HBA-BSM C.S.H.B. 3203 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3203
By: Jones, Jesse
Judicial Affairs
5/3/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a potential juror's name may not be struck from the jury
wheel if the summons is returned as undeliverable.  However, current law
does not allow for the jury wheel to be updated if the summons is returned
with a change of address notification attached.  C.S.H.B. 3203 authorizes
the county or district court to update the jury wheel with the potential
juror's forwarding address if that address accompanies the returned jury
summons and requires the county or district clerk to update jury wheel
cards to reflect addresses that have been changed.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3203 amends the Government Code to require the county or district
clerk to update jury wheel cards to reflect addresses that have been
changed in reconstituting the jury wheel.  The bill provides that if a
written summons for jury service sent by a sheriff, constable, or bailiff
is returned with a notation from the United States Postal Service of a
change of address for the person summoned, the county or district clerk is
authorized to change the jury wheel card for that person to reflect the new
address.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3203 differs from the original bill by providing that in
reconstituting the jury wheel, the county or district clerk is required to
update jury wheel cards to reflect addresses that have been changed,
whereas the original bill provided that the jury wheel must be
reconstituted by using change of address information provided by the United
States Postal Service (USPS) for the names collected by using the current
voter registration lists and all names on a current list furnished by the
Department of Public Safety.  C.S.H.B. 3203 modifies the original bill to
conform to Texas Legislative Council style and format.