HB 546 -- JURY DUTY

SPONSOR:  Schaaf

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Judiciary
by a vote of 11 to 0.

This bill exempts from jury duty any woman who is breastfeeding.  The
must provide a written statement to the court certifying that she
is actually breastfeeding and requesting that she be excused.

The bill also disqualifies licensed attorneys from jury duty.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2008, FY 2009, and
FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill will allow mothers to
postpone their jury service during the time they are
breastfeeding.  Because nursing mothers do not feed their infants
on a regular schedule, service on a jury would interrupt feeding.
If nursing mothers are not able to nurse their infants, the risk
of infection to the nursing mother increases.  Nursing helps
infants fight disease, reduces allergies, and is the ideal food
for the healthy growth and development of infants.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Schaaf; Nikki
Simmons; and Elizabeth Crowley.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that the exemption from
jury service for attorneys should not be added to the bill.
Attorneys should be subject to the peremptory challenges in jury
selection and, in some cases, can be a valuable addition to a
jury.

Testifying against the bill was Missouri Association of Trial
Attorneys.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:19 am