HB 4088 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the qualifications for jury service.

HB 4088 updates jury qualification rules by disqualifying individuals with recent felony convictions or pending charges for theft or felonies. It also establishes a program to reimburse jurors for mental health services after serving in trials involving serious crimes (like assault or sexual offenses under Penal Code Chapters 19-25). Courts must inform jurors in writing about this program and provide a certificate detailing the trial's charges to facilitate reimbursement claims. The program requires state funding to operate and applies specifically to jurors in cases involving those designated criminal offenses.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 27, 2025 Last action May 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 5 edits · May 12, 2025
MODERATE
This bill establishes a new juror mental health services reimbursement program and updates jury service qualification requirements. The main change is creating a $150 reimbursement program for jurors who experience mental health issues related to serving in criminal trials involving serious offenses. The bill also clarifies and reorganizes existing jury service qualifications in the Government Code.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope by adding a new reimbursement program for juror mental health services, while also reorganizing and clarifying existing jury service qualification requirements.
FISCAL

Created a new juror mental health services reimbursement program that provides up to $150 to jurors who obtain mental health services related to their jury service in criminal trials.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'mental health professional' and 'mental health services' to establish the reimbursement program framework.

ELIGIBILITY

Reorganized jury service qualifications in Government Code Section 62.102, removing redundant language and clarifying the disqualification criteria.

REQUIREMENT

Requires courts to provide written information about the mental health reimbursement program to jurors and issue certificates of attendance at trial completion.

TIMELINE

Established September 1, 2025 as the effective date for the new reimbursement program.

Floor votes · House May 12, 2025

How they voted

10633
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 143
May 12, 2025
D Democratic57
53 Yea 3 Nay 1
92% Yea
R Republican86
53 Yea 30 Nay 3
61% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
25
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Amendments
2
May 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
May 14, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
May 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Apr 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Greg Bonnen
Greg Bonnen
RRepublican
TX
24