Sec. 61.003. DONATION OF REIMBURSEMENT.
(a) Each person who reports for jury service shall be personally provided a form letter that when signed by the person directs the county treasurer to donate all, or a specific amount designated by the person, of the person's daily reimbursement under this chapter to:
(1) the compensation to victims of crime fund under Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(2) the child welfare, child protective services, or child services board of the county appointed under Section 264.005, Family Code, that serves abused and neglected children;
(3) any program selected by the commissioners court that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
(4) any other program approved by the commissioners court of the county, including a program established under Article 56.04(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, that offers psychological counseling to jurors in criminal cases involving graphic evidence or testimony; or
(5) a veterans court program established by the commissioners court as provided by Chapter 124.
(a-1) The form letter provided under Subsection (a) must include a blank in which a person may enter the amount of the daily reimbursement the person wishes to donate.
(a-2) The form letter provided under Subsection (a) must contain a brief description of the programs designated for donation under that subsection.
(b) The county treasurer or a designated county employee shall collect each form letter directing the county treasurer to donate the reimbursement of a person who reports for jury service.
(c) The county treasurer shall:
(1) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(1) to the comptroller, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the attorney general, for deposit to the credit of the compensation to victims of crime fund;
(2) deposit donations made to the county child welfare board under Subsection (a)(2) in a fund established by the county to be used by the child welfare board in a manner authorized by the commissioners court of the county; and
(3) send all donations made under Subsection (a)(3) or (a)(4) directly to the program specified on the form letter signed by the person who reported for jury service.
(d) Notwithstanding this section, a juror reimbursement donation program established before January 1, 1995, may solicit juror donations and provide all funds collected in the name of that program to the charities served by that program on January 1, 1995.
(e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a county that has adopted a system or method of payment authorized by Section 113.048, Local Government Code, may provide a person who reports for jury service in the county an opportunity to donate all, or a specific part designated by the juror, of the juror's daily reimbursement by completing a self-executing application on a form prescribed by the commissioners court.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 329, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 875, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1313, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1423, Sec. 8.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 661 (H.B. 1204), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1378 (S.B. 560), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 11.001, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 235 (S.B. 1675), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 235 (S.B. 1675), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (S.B. 397), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1266 (H.B. 3996), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Section: Previous 61.001 61.0011 61.0015 61.002Last modified: September 28, 2016