HBA-AMW S.B. 203 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 203
By: Duncan
Criminal Jurisprudence
4/2/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, district judges are required to seat 12 grand jurors and
two alternates to comprise a formal grand jury.  The law provides that no
more than 20 persons may be summoned to comprise the actual grand jury pool
from which the 14 grand jurors are selected.  However, problems may arise
if persons are eligible to be excused from jury duty, in some cases causing
a new  grand jury pool to be summoned.  Senate Bill 203 increases the
maximum number of persons from 20 to 40 that the jury commissioners are
required to select to be summoned as grand jurors. 

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

Senate Bill 203 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to increase the
maximum number of persons from 20 to 40 that the jury commissioners are
authorized to summon as grand jurors.  The bill also increases from 20 to
40 the number of persons the district judge may require the jury commission
to select, through a writ commanding the sheriff to summon the commission,
after the commencement of a term. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.