2023 Texas Statutes › Government Code › Title 2 - Judicial Branch › Subtitle E - Juries › Chapter 61 - General Provisions › Section 61.003. Donation of Reimbursement

Sec. 61.003.  DONATION OF REIMBURSEMENT.  (a)  Each person who reports for jury service shall be provided the opportunity, either through a written form or electronically, to direct the county treasurer or a designated county employee to donate all, a specific amount designated by the person, or the entire amount divided among the funds, programs, and county entities listed in this subsection of the person's daily reimbursement under this chapter to:
(1)  the compensation to victims of crime fund established under Subchapter J, Chapter 56B, 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 56A.205, Code of Criminal Procedure, that offers psychological counseling in criminal cases involving graphic evidence or testimony;
(5)  a veterans treatment court program established by the commissioners court as provided by Chapter 124; or
(6)  a veterans county service office established by the commissioners court as provided by Subchapter B, Chapter 434.
(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 any information provided under Subsection (a) 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), (a)(4), or (a)(6) directly to the program or office, as applicable, 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 reported 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 that is provided after jury service is concluded.
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.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1160 (S.B. 1264), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 469 (H.B. 4173), Sec. 2.40, eff. January 1, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 565 (S.B. 456), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 874 (S.B. 1179), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 934 (H.B. 3774), Sec. 11.01, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 861 (H.B. 3474), Sec. 8.003, eff. September 1, 2023.