HBA-KMH, GUM S.B. 409 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 409 By: Duncan Criminal Jurisprudence 5/4/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the court trying a felony case is authorized to order the jury not to separate, except for housing female and male jurors separately. The Rules of Civil Procedure include language which allows the jury to separate. S.B. 409 authorizes a trial judge to permit jurors in a felony case to separate for meals or other purposes. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 35.23, Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize a court in a felony case to provide an exception to its own order prohibiting jurors from being separate afer being given their charge, permitting said jurors to separate for meals or other proper purposes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.