1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to judiciary; setting juror per diem rate in statute; requesting judicial 
1.3 	branch study on jury service compensation;amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, 
1.4 	section 593.48.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 593.48, is amended to read:
1.7 	593.48 COMPENSATION OF JURORS AND TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT.
1.8 	A juror shall be reimbursed for round-trip travel between the juror's residence 
1.9 	and the place of holding court and ~~compensated for required attendance at sessions of~~ 
1.10 	~~court and~~ may be reimbursed for additional day care expenses incurred as a result of 
1.11 	jury duty at rates determined by the Supreme Court. A juror shall be compensated for 
1.12 	required attendance at sessions of court at a rate of $....... per day. A juror may request 
1.13 	reimbursement for additional parking expenses incurred as a result of jury duty, in which 
1.14 	case the reimbursement shall be paid and the juror's compensation for required attendance 
1.15 	at sessions of court shall not be reduced by the amount of the parking reimbursement. 
1.16 	Except in the Eighth Judicial District where the state shall pay directly, the compensation 
1.17 	and reimbursement shall be paid out of the county treasury upon receipt of authorization 
1.18 	to pay from the jury commissioner. These jury costs shall be reimbursed monthly by the 
1.19 	Supreme Court upon submission of an invoice by the county treasurer. A monthly report 
1.20 	of payments to jurors shall be sent to the jury commissioner within two weeks of the end 
1.21 	of the month in the form required by the jury commissioner.

1.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective October 1, 2015, and applies to jurors 
1.23 	summoned to jury service on or after that date.

2.1 	Sec. 2. JUROR COMPENSATION STUDY AND REPORT.
 2.2 	The chief justice of the Supreme Court is requested to consult with the Judicial 
2.3 	Council and the state court administrator in evaluating and making recommendations to 
2.4 	the governor and the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives 
2.5 	and senate committees with jurisdiction over judiciary finance by November 15, 2016, on 
2.6 	strategies to provide fair and more adequate compensation to jurors. It is requested that 
2.7 	the recommendations be based in part on an evaluation of the following:
2.8 	(1) equating juror per diem rates for required attendance with eight hours' pay at the 
2.9 	minimum wage rate set forth in section 177.24, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (2);
2.10 	(2) creating graduated juror compensation rates for extended service;
2.11 	(3) increasing reimbursement rates for parking, dependant care, and other expenses;
2.12 	(4) providing compensation when jurors are on-call and unable to perform their 
2.13 	normal paid employment schedule as a result of their on-call status;
2.14 	(5) developing strategies to promote employer support of jury service;
2.15 	(6) considering alternative approaches when jurors are compensated through wage 
2.16 	replacement, paid in full or in part by employers;
2.17 	(7) considering other strategies proposed by the chief justice, Judicial Council, 
2.18 	and state court administrator; and
2.19 	(8) phasing in recommendations proposed under clauses (1) to (7) to take into 
2.20 	account administrative and fiscal concerns.

2.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.