PRINTER'S NO. 89
No. 105 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, HENNESSEY, CORRIGAN, GEIST, THOMAS,
YOUNGBLOOD, CAPPELLI, PHILLIPS, SHANER, BELFANTI, DALEY,
STABACK, MANDERINO, PRESTON, FRANKEL, MICHLOVIC, DeLUCA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, SURRA, SOLOBAY, CIVERA, C. WILLIAMS AND WILT,
JANUARY 23, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 23, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for the term of
3 jury duty; and further providing for the selection of
4 prospective jurors and their compensation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
8 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
9 § 4504. Term of service.
10 The length of the term of service shall be one day, except
11 that if a juror is impaneled on a jury trial which lasts more
12 than one day, the term of service shall be the length of that
13 trial.
14 Section 2. Sections 4521(a) and 4561(a) of Title 42 are
15 amended to read:
16 § 4521. Selection of prospective jurors.
17 (a) Preparation of master list of prospective jurors.--At
1 least annually the jury selection commission shall prepare a
2 master list of prospective jurors. The list shall contain all
3 voter registration lists for the county, which lists may be
4 incorporated by reference, or names from such other lists which
5 in the opinion of the commission will provide a number of names
6 of prospective jurors which is equal to or greater than the
7 number of names contained in the voter registration list. The
8 commission [may, but will not be required to,] shall supplement
9 the master list of prospective jurors [to include, without being
10 limited to,] by including persons in any of the following
11 categories:
12 (1) Persons listed in telephone, city, municipal
13 directories and similar directories.
14 (2) Persons who pay taxes or are assessed for taxes
15 imposed by any political subdivisions.
16 (3) Persons in the county participating in any State,
17 county or local program authorized by law and, to the extent
18 such names are available, persons participating in any
19 Federal program authorized by law.
20 (4) Persons who are on school census lists.
21 (5) Any other person whose name does not appear in the
22 master list of prospective jurors and who meets the
23 qualifications for jurors set forth in this chapter and who
24 makes application to the commission to be listed on the
25 master list of prospective jurors.
26 * * *
27 § 4561. Compensation of and travel allowance for jurors.
28 (a) Compensation.--A person summoned to serve as a juror
29 shall receive compensation at the rate of [$9] $25 a day for the
30 first three days in any calendar year he shall be required to
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1 report for service and [$25] $40 a day for each day thereafter
2 in such calendar year that such person is required to report. In
3 addition, persons so summoned shall be paid a travel allowance
4 at the rate of 17¢ per mile circular except that no travel
5 allowance shall be paid in the first judicial district.
6 * * *
7 Section 3. Section 4563(a) of Title 42 is amended and the
8 section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
9 § 4563. Protection of employment of petit and grand jurors.
10 (a) General rule.--An employer shall not deprive an employee
11 of his employment, seniority position or benefits, or threaten
12 or otherwise coerce him with respect thereto, because the
13 employee receives a summons, responds thereto, serves as a juror
14 or attends court for prospective jury service. [Nothing in this
15 section shall be construed to require the employer to compensate
16 the employee for employment time lost because of such jury
17 service.]
18 * * *
19 (f) Full compensation.--
20 (1) An employee shall be entitled to receive full
21 compensation from his employer, less any compensation and
22 travel allowance that he receives from serving as a juror
23 under section 4561(a) (relating to compensation of and travel
24 allowance for jurors), for not more than five days of
25 service.
26 (2) An employer may compensate the employee for
27 employment time lost due to jury service beyond five days and
28 may require the employee to submit proof of total
29 compensation and travel allowance paid to the employee while
30 serving as a juror.
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1 (3) This subsection shall apply only to any employer who
2 employs 31 or more employees.
3 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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