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.

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14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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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

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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.

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