CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

House Bill 0377c1

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 377 By the Committee on Family Law & Children and Representatives Bronson, Feeney, Argenziano, Fasano, Lynn, Culp and Harrington 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to juries; amending s. 40.013, 3 F.S.; providing for permanent excusal of 4 certain persons from jury service; amending s. 5 40.24, F.S., relating to compensation for juror 6 service; authorizing donation of juror 7 compensation to a program specified by a 8 certified guardian ad litem program or to a 9 domestic violence shelter; providing duties of 10 the clerk of court and guidelines with respect 11 to receipt or expenditures of such donated 12 moneys; providing an effective date. 13 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 16 Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 40.013, Florida 17 Statutes, is amended to read: 18 40.013 Persons disqualified or excused from jury 19 service.-- 20 (8) A person 70 years of age or older shall be excused 21 from jury service upon request. A person 70 years of age or 22 older may also be permanently excused from jury service upon 23 written request. A person who is permanently excused from jury 24 service may subsequently request, in writing, to be included 25 in future jury lists provided such person meets the 26 qualifications required by this chapter. 27 Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 40.24, 28 Florida Statutes, to read: 29 40.24 Compensation and reimbursement policy.-- 30 (8) In circuits that elect to allow jurors to donate 31 their jury service fee upon conclusion of juror service, each 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 377 606-106-97 1 juror may irrevocably donate all of the juror's compensation 2 to the 26 U.S.C. s. 501(c)(3) organization specified by the 3 certified guardian ad litem program or to a domestic violence 4 shelter as enumerated by the clerk of court in the circuit for 5 the juror's county of residence. The funds collected may not 6 reduce or offset the amount of compensation that the guardian 7 ad litem program or domestic violence shelter would otherwise 8 receive from the state. The clerk of court shall ensure that 9 all jurors are given written notice at the conclusion of their 10 service that they have the option to so donate their 11 compensation, and that the applicable program specified by the 12 guardian ad litem program or a domestic violence shelter 13 receives all funds donated by the jurors. Any guardian ad 14 litem program receiving donations of juror compensation must 15 expend such moneys on services for children for whom guardians 16 ad litem have been appointed. 17 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 1997. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2