02/22/1993 01:00 PM House JUD

  HB 120 JURY LIST PREPARATION                                                 
                                                                               
  Number 378                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. CHRISTENSEN said that HB 120 was very non-controversial.                 
  He said that currently, the Court System was required to                     
  prepare a list each year of persons eligible for jury                        
  service.  The list was created from those individuals who                    
  applied for permanent fund dividends.  He said that                          
  currently, the list had to be prepared by March 15 of each                   
  year.  He noted that the Department of Revenue (DOR)                         
  submitted its list to the Court System by the preceding                      
  January 15.  He said that HB 120 would require the Court                     
  System to prepare its list by November 30 of each year, and                  
  DOR to submit its list to the Court System by the preceding                  
  September 30.  He noted that HB 120 would increase the                       
  administrative efficiency of the Court System.  He stated                    
  that the bill would result in no additional cost to the                      
  state.                                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 404                                                                   
                                                                               
  TOM WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR of DOR's PERMANENT FUND DIVIDEND                      
  DIVISION, said that he had no problem with HB 120.                           
                                                                               
  Number 411                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. PHILLIPS noted that a similar bill had died the year                    
  before, in the Senate Rules Committee.  She asked why this                   
  had occurred.                                                                
                                                                               
  Number 412                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. CHRISTENSEN replied that time had simply run out.                        
                                                                               
  REP. PHILLIPS commented that since permanent fund dividend                   
  applications had to be submitted by June 30 of each year,                    
  DOR should have no difficulty submitting its list to the                     
  Court System by September 30.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 420                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. DAVIDSON asked Mr. Christensen why many people were                     
  reluctant to serve on juries.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 428                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. CHRISTENSEN responded that no formal research had been                   
  done on the subject.  However, he noted that many people                     
  disliked taking time off of work and not being compensated                   
  by their employers, arranging for day care, and otherwise                    
  incurring expenses as a result of their jury service.                        
                                                                               
  Number 438                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. JAMES made a motion to pass HB 120 out of committee,                    
  with individual recommendations.                                             
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN PORTER, hearing no objection, ordered HB 120 moved                  
  out of committee, with individual recommendations.  He                       
  announced that HJR 15, 100-Day Session Limit, was the next                   
  item of business before the committee.