THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MATZIE, D. COSTA, HOUGHTON, KORTZ, M. O'BRIEN, WAGNER AND GIBBONS, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for

compensation of and travel allowance for jurors.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 4561 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 4561.  Compensation of and travel allowance for jurors.

(a)  Compensation.--[A person summoned to serve as a juror

shall receive compensation at the rate of $9 a day for the first

three days in any calendar year he shall be required to report

for service and $25 a day for each day thereafter in such

calendar year that such person is required to report. In

addition, persons so summoned shall be paid a travel allowance

at the rate of 17¢ per mile circular except that no travel

allowance shall be paid in the first judicial district.]

Employers shall pay a person summoned to serve as a juror at his

ordinary wage or salary each day he is required to report for

service. The Commonwealth shall grant a tax credit to the

employer for the amount expended in the same calendar year.

(a.1)  Unemployed persons.--Unemployed persons shall be

compensated using the appropriate rate of unemployment

compensation.

(a.2)  Self-employed persons.--The Commonwealth shall grant a

self-employed person or a person whose sole means of income is

commission a tax credit equal to the juror's monthly income in

the previous year.

(a.3)  Parking.--A person summoned to serve as a juror shall

be given a parking voucher for a nearby parking facility.

(b)  State reimbursement.--[The Commonwealth shall reimburse

each county 80% of the amount expended by the county for such

compensation and travel allowance beyond the first three days of

service if the juror is participating in a trial or in grand

jury proceedings.] Persons summoned to serve as a juror shall be

paid a travel allowance at the rate provided by current IRS

regulations, except that no travel allowance shall be paid in

the first judicial district. Application for reimbursement shall

be made by the county to the State Treasurer through the

Administrative Office pursuant to procedures prescribed by said

office. As used in this section, trial participation shall

include voir dire examination only if such examination shall

have commenced prior to the juror's fourth day of service.

(c)  Definition.--As used in this section, the term "jurors"

does not apply to those persons summoned to serve on a

multicounty investigating grand jury who are reimbursed under

section 4553(b) (relating to expenses of investigating grand

juries and trials resulting therefrom).

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.