SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

            WHEREAS, While jury service is a civic duty for many

     Americans, extended jury service can create significant financial

     hardship on jurors, and for many citizens the honor and privilege

      of serving on a jury becomes instead a burden that not only tends

     to limit participation in jury service but ultimately reduces the

      representativeness of juries in an increasingly diverse society;

      and

            WHEREAS, Under current law, jurors are entitled to

      reimbursement of expenses in an amount not less than $6 nor more

     than $50 for each day of jury service, with the actual amount being

     determined by the county commissioners court; the law also allows a

     presiding judge, under certain circumstances, to increase the daily

     reimbursement above the amount set by the commissioners court

     provided that reimbursement does not exceed the maximum allowable

     amount of $50 per day, with the additional costs in these cases

     being shared equally by the parties involved; and

           WHEREAS, Because jurors' compensation often falls at the

     lower end of this reimbursement schedule, jury duty participation

     may cause undue financial hardships on citizens who incur

     substantial traveling and other daily expenses when responding to a

     jury summons; and

           WHEREAS, To alleviate potential financial hardships for those

     jurors who serve for an extended period of time, a task force

     appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas recommended increasing the

     reimbursement of expenses for jurors to $40 per day beginning on

     the second day of jury service; in its 1997 report the task force

      also recommended that counties be allowed the option of offering to

      jurors an array of first-day incentives; and

            WHEREAS, In addition to easing the financial burden that jury

     service imposes on some citizens, the recommendations of the

     Supreme Court of Texas Jury Task Force regarding an increase in the

      reimbursement of expenses for jurors and other incentives also

     would facilitate the court system's efforts to increase the number

     and diversity of people who are able to participate in the state's

     jury system; now, therefore, be it

           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas

     hereby direct the Texas Judicial Council to examine the costs of

     increasing reimbursement of expenses of jurors to $40 after the

     first day of trial and to examine the feasibility of allowing

     counties to offer other incentives to jurors for service; and, be

     it further

           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas

     Judicial Council.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 15 was adopted by the Senate

         on March 11, 1999.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 15 was adopted by the House

         on April 23, 1999.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor