CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
House Bill 0377e1




                                    CS/HB 377, First Engrossed/ntc



  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.






                                    CS/HB 377, First Engrossed/ntc



  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  guardian ad litem program or to a domestic violence shelter as

  4  specified annually on a rotating basis by the clerk of court

  5  in the circuit for the juror's county of residence. The funds

  6  collected may not reduce or offset the amount of compensation

  7  that the guardian ad litem program or domestic violence

  8  shelter would otherwise receive from the state. The clerk of

  9  court shall ensure that all jurors are given written notice at

10  the conclusion of their service that they have the option to

11  so donate their compensation, and that the applicable program

12  specified by the guardian ad litem program or a domestic

13  violence shelter receives all funds donated by the jurors.

14  Any guardian ad litem program receiving donations of juror

15  compensation must expend such moneys on services for children

16  for whom guardians 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