Bill > S2236

This bill amends New Jersey law to explicitly include nursing mothers as a category eligible for exemption from jury service. Specifically, the bill adds a provision that allows a prospective juror who is a mother of a child one year of age or younger and who is nursing or expressing milk for the child to be excused from jury duty. This exemption falls under the existing category of personal obligations for care, which already includes provisions for caring for sick, elderly, or dependent individuals. The change recognizes the unique challenges faced by nursing mothers and provides them with a clear pathway to be excused from jury service during the first year after childbirth. The bill will take effect immediately and apply to jurors who are impaneled on or after the effective date, which is specified as April 22, 2025. This modification to the existing jury duty exemption law aims to support new mothers by removing a potential source of stress and logistical difficulty during the early months of child-rearing.

Justice

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S2236