Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB76 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~SB76ENGROSSED~~
	1	+	SB76INTRODUCED
2	2		Page 0
3	3		SB76
4		-	7D1YEVV-2
	4	+	7D1YEVV-1
5	5		By Senators Weaver, Chambliss
6	6		RFD: Judiciary
7	7		First Read: 04-Feb-25
8	8		1
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12		-	5 ~~SB76 Engrossed~~
	12	+	5 7D1YEVV-1 02/04/2025 GP (L)lg 2025-511
13	13		Page 1
14	14		First Read: 04-Feb-25
	15	+	SYNOPSIS:
	16	+	Under existing law, individuals may be excused
	17	+	from jury duty for limited reasons including extreme
	18	+	physical or financial hardship, incapacity, or public
	19	+	necessity.
	20	+	This bill would provide that a nursing mother
	21	+	may be excused from service as a juror.
	22	+	This bill would also require a nursing mother
	23	+	seeking excusal from jury service to provide the court
	24	+	with certification from a health care professional that
	25	+	she is nursing.
15	26		A BILL
16	27		TO BE ENTITLED
17	28		AN ACT
18	29		Relating to juries; to amend Section 12-16-63, Code of
19	30		Alabama 1975; to provide an exemption from jury service for
20	31		nursing mothers.
21	32		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
22		-	Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
23		-	Parker's Law.
24		-	Section 2. Section 12-16-63, Code of Alabama 1975, is
	33	+	Section 1. Section 12-16-63, Code of Alabama 1975, is
25	34		amended to read as follows:
26	35		"§12-16-63
27	36		(a) The court, upon Upon the request of a prospective
28		-	juror pursuant to this section, the court shall determine, on
29		-	the basis of information provided during an interview with the
30		-	prospective juror or based on other competent evidence ,
31		-	whether the prospective juror should be excused from jury
32		-	service.
33		-	(b) A person An individual who is not disqualified for
34		-	jury service may apply to be excused from jury service by the
35		-	court only upon a showing of undue one of the following:
36		-	(1) That serving on a jury would result in undue or
37		-	extreme physical or financial hardship , a.
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65		-	28 SB76 ~~Engrossed~~
	64	+	28 SB76 INTRODUCED
66	65		Page 2
	66	+	(a) The court, upon Upon the request of a prospective
	67	+	juror pursuant to this section, the court shall determine, on
	68	+	the basis of information provided during an interview with the
	69	+	prospective juror or based on other competent evidence ,
	70	+	whether the prospective juror should be excused from jury
	71	+	service.
	72	+	(b) A person An individual who is not disqualified for
	73	+	jury service may apply to be excused from jury service by the
	74	+	court only upon a showing of undue one of the following:
	75	+	(1) That serving on a jury would result in undue or
67	76		extreme physical or financial hardship , a.
68	77		(2) The prospective juror has a mental or physical
69	78		condition that incapacitates the person, or him or her.
70	79		(3) The prospective juror is a nursing mother at the
71	80		time she receives a summons.
72	81		(4) The prospective juror should be excused for reasons
73	82		of public necessity , for a period of up to 24 months, at the
74	83		conclusion of which the person may be directed to reappear for
75	84		jury service in accordance with the court's direction .
76	85		(c)(1) A person An individual asking to be excused
77	86		based on undue or extreme physical or financial hardship shall
78	87		take all actions necessary to have obtained a ruling on that
79	88		request by no later than the date on which the individual is
80	89		scheduled to appear for jury duty . Documentation of such
81	90		hardship shall be provided to the court upon request . Upon the
82	91		request of the court, the individual seeking to be excused
83	92		must provide documentation of the hardship.
84	93		(2) For purposes of this article section, undue or
85	94		extreme physical or financial hardship is limited to any of
86		-	the following circumstances in which an individual would:
87		-	a. Be required to abandon a person an individual under
88		-	his or her personal care or supervision due to the
89		-	impossibility of obtaining an appropriate substitute caregiver
90		-	during the period of participation in the jury pool or on the
91		-	jury.
92		-	b. Incur costs that would have a substantial adverse
93		-	impact on the payment of the individual's necessary daily
94		-	living expenses or on those for whom he or she provides the
95		-	principal means of support.
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123		-	56 SB76 ~~Engrossed~~
	122	+	56 SB76 INTRODUCED
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	124	+	extreme physical or financial hardship is limited to any of
	125	+	the following circumstances in which an individual would:
	126	+	a. Be required to abandon a person an individual under
	127	+	his or her personal care or supervision due to the
	128	+	impossibility of obtaining an appropriate substitute caregiver
	129	+	during the period of participation in the jury pool or on the
	130	+	jury.
	131	+	b. Incur costs that would have a substantial adverse
	132	+	impact on the payment of the individual's necessary daily
	133	+	living expenses or on those for whom he or she provides the
125	134		principal means of support.
126	135		c. Suffer physical hardship that would result in
127	136		illness or disease.
128	137		(3) Undue or extreme physical or financial hardship
129	138		does not exist solely based on the fact that a prospective
130	139		juror will be required to be absent from his or her place of
131	140		employment.
132	141		(d) An individual asking to be excused under
133	142		subdivision (b)(3) shall provide to the court a written
134		-	statement that she is a nursing mother.
	143	+	statement from a health care professional certifying that she
	144	+	is a nursing mother. For the purposes of this section,
	145	+	appropriate health care professionals include, but are not
	146	+	limited to, a physician, lactation consultant, certified nurse
	147	+	midwife, or pediatrician.
135	148		(e)(1) A prospective juror excused pursuant to this
136	149		section shall be exempt from jury service for a period of 24
137	150		months.
138	151		(2) At the conclusion of the 24-month period, the
139	152		individual may be directed to reappear for jury service at the
140		-	court's direction.
141		-	(f)(c) The excusal of a person an individual from jury
142		-	service pursuant to subsection (b) shall this section may not
143		-	affect the person's his or her right to one automatic
144		-	postponement under Section 12-16-63.1."
145		-	Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
146		-	1, 2025.
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167		-	77 SB76 Engrossed
168		-	Page 4
169		-	1, 2025.
170		-	Senate
171		-	Read for the first time and referred
172		-	to the Senate committee on Judiciary
173		-	................04-Feb-25
174		-	Read for the second time and placed
175		-	on the calendar:
176		-	1 amendment
177		-	................12-Feb-25
178		-	Read for the third time and passed
179		-	as amended
180		-	Yeas 31
181		-	Nays 0
182		-	Abstains 0
183		-	................18-Feb-25
184		-	Patrick Harris,
185		-	Secretary.
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	180	+	84 SB76 INTRODUCED
	181	+	Page 4
	182	+	individual may be directed to reappear for jury service at the
	183	+	court's direction.
	184	+	(f)(c) The excusal of a person an individual from jury
	185	+	service pursuant to subsection (b) shall this section may not
	186	+	affect the person's his or her right to one automatic
	187	+	postponement under Section 12-16-63.1."
	188	+	Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
	189	+	1, 2025.
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