Bill > S2590

Introduced Session

This bill exempts nursing mothers from jury duty. Under current law, nursing mothers are not explicitly exempted from jury duty, which can present a hardship to mothers who are nursing or expressing milk for their babies. Currently, exemptions from jury duty are statutorily authorized for persons: 75 years of age or older; who have served on a jury within the previous three years; or who will suffer severe hardship due to circumstances that are unlikely to change within a year (e.g. medical conditions, care of another or financial hardship). Members of volunteer fire departments and first aid or rescue squads and, under certain circumstances, teachers are exempted. Medical professionals state breastfeeding provides health benefits to infants. Breastfeeding has been associated with reduced risk of respiratory infections, gastrointestinal tract infections, sudden infant death syndrome, allergic disease, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, childhood leukemia and lymphoma, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Breastfeeding has also been associated with health benefits to mothers such as reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. In 2011, the United States Surgeon General issued a "Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding." The State of New Jersey Department of Health has recognized the benefits associated with breastfeeding and has issued proposed guidelines for New Jersey hospitals which are designed to encourage more mothers to breastfeed in order to improve health outcomes of both mothers and infants. It is the view of the sponsor that nursing mothers should be supported in their efforts to breastfeed their babies. This bill provides assistance to mothers who are nursing or expressing milk by enabling them to claim an exemption from jury duty during the first year of their child's life.

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Teresa Ruiz (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (on 05/21/2018)