Bill > S738

This bill aims to improve how people respond to jury service by updating existing laws. It changes the terminology from "juror confirmation form" to "juror summons response" to clarify the process. The bill also removes a requirement for specifying an alternate month, day, and year for jury service, and instead mandates that the office of the jury commissioner provide a confidential questionnaire to prospective jurors. Crucially, it establishes that all grand and trial jurors must respond to a jury summons within 10 days of receiving it, with options to authorize someone else to respond on their behalf if they are unable to do so themselves, and allows for confirmation of service through various means including phone and electronic methods. The bill also outlines a process for a second summons if no response is received, and allows the jury commissioner to summon additional jurors if needed, with similar response timelines. Finally, it grants trial jurors the right to one postponement of their service for up to a year, which must be indicated in their response to the summons, though the jury commissioner can adjust the date if necessary and may limit the number of postponements to ensure diverse juror pools.