S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  8375

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                           September 11, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  DenDEKKER  --  read once and referred to the
  Committee on Judiciary

AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to increasing the  amount
  of allowance that trial and grand jurors are entitled to in each court
  of the unified court system

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 521 of  the  judiciary  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  302  of  the  laws  of 2002, is amended to read as
follows:
  (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of this section,  trial  and
grand jurors in each court of the unified court system shall be entitled
to  an allowance equal to the sum of [forty] SIXTY-THREE dollars per day
for each  and  every  day  of  physical  attendance  wherein  the  court
convenes,  except  that  no  person who is employed shall be entitled to
receive such allowance if, pursuant to section five hundred nineteen  of
this  article,  his  or  her employer is prohibited from withholding the
first [forty] SIXTY-THREE dollars of wages of such  person  during  such
period and such person's daily wages equal or exceed [forty] SIXTY-THREE
dollars.  If such person's daily wages are less than [forty] SIXTY-THREE
dollars, he or she shall be entitled to receive an  allowance  hereunder
equal  to  the  difference  between  [forty] SIXTY-THREE dollars and the
amount of his or her daily wages. Such fees and those expenses  actually
and  necessarily incurred in providing food and lodging for jurors shall
be a state charge payable out of funds appropriated  to  the  office  of
court administration for that purpose.
  S  2. Section 519 of the judiciary law, as added by section 3 of chap-
ter 85 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
  S 519. Right of juror to be absent from employment. Any person who  is
summoned  to  serve  as a juror under the provisions of this article and
who notifies his or her employer to that effect prior to  the  commence-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11893-01-5
              

A. 8375                             2

ment  of a term of service shall not, on account of absence from employ-
ment by reason of such jury service, be subject to discharge or penalty.
An employer may, however, withhold wages of any such employee serving as
a juror during the period of such service; provided that an employer who
employs  more  than  ten  employees shall not withhold the first [forty]
SIXTY-THREE dollars of such juror's daily wages during the  first  three
days  of  jury  service.  Withholding  of  wages in accordance with this
section shall not be deemed a penalty. Violation of this  section  shall
constitute  a  criminal contempt of court punishable pursuant to section
seven hundred fifty of this chapter.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.