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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6548
AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JURY
SELECTION TASK FORCE.
SUMMARY
This bill adjusts the method for summoning jurors from each town
to reflect how many complied with the summons in the past year.
Beginning October 1, 2022, the jury administrator must compile the
number of jurors summoned from each town who complied with the
summons. Beginning July 1, 2023, the bill requires the number of jurors
chosen from each town to reflect the proportional representation of
each town’s population within the judicial district based on the data
collected and a specified formula.
The bill also establishes temporary procedures before the data is
collected. From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2023, whenever there is an
undeliverable jury summons, the jury administrator must send a
replacement summons to the same zip code as the undeliverable
summons.
The bill also:
1. expands eligibility for jury service (e.g., to certain permanent
residents, those convicted of a felony within seven years, and
defendants in a pending felony case);
2. requires additional questions on the juror questionnaire and the
Judicial Branch to compile demographic information on those
who participate in the jury process; and
3. provides juror compensation for part-time employed or
unemployed jurors and increases reimbursement rates and rates
paid to certain jurors serving more than five days. 2021HB-06548-R000577-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021, for the eligibility expansion
and compensation and reimbursement provisions; July 1, 2022, for the
zip code replacement summons provision; October 1, 2022, for the
juror data compilation and questionnaire provisions; and July 1, 2023,
for the proportional representation provision.
§ 1 — EXPANDED JURY POOL
The bill expands eligibility for jury service to include permanent
residents, as allowed under federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(20)).
It also expands eligibility by eliminating certain restrictions. Current
law prohibits the following individuals from serving: (1) defendants in
a felony case or (2) those convicted of a felony within seven years or
who are in the Department of Correction (DOC) custody. The bill
instead only prohibits those in DOC’s physical custody within a
correction facility or other similar facility.
Additionally, the bill increases the minimum age, from 70 to 75,
when someone may claim an exemption from being summoned, and
makes a conforming change to the lists the jury administrator must
keep.
§§ 2-4 — JUROR SUMMONS
The bill adjusts the method for summoning jurors from each town
to reflect each town’s juror summons compliance rate in the past year.
Beginning October 1, 2022, the bill requires the jury administrator to
annually compile the number of jurors summoned from each town
who complied with the summons and appeared for jury service.
Beginning July 1, 2023, the bill requires the number of jurors chosen
from each town to reflect the proportional representation of each
town’s population within the judicial district modified by the
percentage of jurors who complied with summons in the prior year.
This is calculated by dividing each town’s proportional share of the
judicial district’s population by the town’s “yield ratio.” Under the bill,
the “yield ratio” is the (1) number of jurors from the town who were
summoned the previous year and complied and appeared for jury 2021HB-06548-R000577-BA.DOCX
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service, divided by (2) product of the town’s proportional share of the
judicial district’s population and the total number of jurors summoned
in the judicial district in the previous calendar year.
As under existing law, the administrator must use population
figures from the most recent decennial census.
The bill also establishes temporary procedures before the data is
collected. From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2023, for each undeliverable
jury summons, the jury administrator must send an additional
randomly generated jury summons to a juror with the same zip code
as the undeliverable summons.
§ 5 — JURY QUESTIONNAIRE
Under current law, the jury administrator must send a prospective
juror a confidential questionnaire with certain questions regarding his
or her personal information (e.g., age, race, occupation). The bill
requires the questionnaire to also include questions asking the juror’s
gender and other demographic information the judicial branch deems
appropriate. It requires the administrator to provide, rather than send,
the questionnaire.
The bill requires the judicial branch to compile a record of the
demographic characteristics of all individuals who (1) are summoned
for jury service; (2) participated in a panel; (3) are subject to a
preemptory challenge (i.e., objection to a proposed juror without
needing a reason); (4) are subject to challenge for cause (i.e., objection
to a proposed juror for a stated reason, such as bias); and (5) serve on a
jury. The record must exclude personally identifiable information (i.e.,
identifying information linked or linkable to a specific person) and be
maintained in a way that provides free and open access to the
information on the Internet.
§ 6 — JUROR COMPENSATION
Part-time Employed Juror Pay
The bill provides a flat fee payment equal to the minimum wage
based on an eight-hour day (currently $96, see CGS § 31-58) to part- 2021HB-06548-R000577-BA.DOCX
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time employed or unemployed jurors who have no source of
compensation for the first five days of jury service. By law, a “part-
time employed juror” means an employee with a position that
normally requires less than 30 hours of service each week or an
employee working on a temporary or casual basis.
Part-time Employed Juror Reimbursements
Under current law, the state reimburses part-time or unemployed
jurors for necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the first
five days of jury service. The bill expands (1) these reimbursements to
include jury service after the first five days and (2) what is considered
“necessary out-of-pocket expenses,” to include family care at a jury
administrator-set rate.
The bill also increases the mileage reimbursement from $0.20 per
mile traveled to the privately-owned vehicle mileage reimbursement
rate established by the federal General Services Administration
(currently $0.56 per mile). As under existing law, travel is calculated as
the mileage from the juror’s residence to court and the return, based on
the shortest direct route either by highway or other regular line
between the points.
The bill also increases the maximum reimbursement amount from
$50 a day to the minimum wage amount based on an eight-hour day.
As under existing law, the minimum reimbursement amount is $20.
Juror Pay After Five Days
By law, employers must pay their full-time employees their regular
wages for the first five days of jury service. Additionally, current law
requires the state to pay each juror who serves more than five days $50
per day for each subsequent day. The bill (1) limits these payments to
jurors who are not paid by their employers after the fifth day and (2)
increases the amount to a flat fee at the minimum wage based on an
eight-hour day. Under current law, these jurors are not entitled to any
additional reimbursements, but the bill allows an unemployed or part-
time employed juror to be reimbursed for family care and travel
expenses (see above). 2021HB-06548-R000577-BA.DOCX
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COMMITTEE ACTION
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 25 Nay 13 (04/06/2021)