HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

652

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to exemptions from jury duty.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that due to the critical roles that physicians, members of the armed forces, police, firefighters, and emergency medical service members play in ensuring the safety of the public welfare in emergency situations, those individuals are currently exempt from jury duty pursuant to section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  The legislature also finds that, pursuant to chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Hawaii emergency management agency and county emergency management agencies serve essential, critical, and unique roles and functions to provide emergency management for the State.  The legislature therefore finds that it is important that active members of those agencies face no hindrances in serving in their roles.  However, under existing law, active members of emergency management agencies are not exempt from jury duty.

     The purpose of this Act is to facilitate the implementation of the policy and purpose of chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by exempting active members of the Hawaii emergency management agency and county emergency management agencies from jury duty.

     SECTION 2.  Section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§612-6  Exempt when.  (a)  A person may claim exemption from service as a juror if the person is:

     (1)  An elected official while the legislature is in session, or a judge of the United States, State, or county;

     (2)  An actively practicing physician or dentist;

     (3)  A member of the armed forces or militia when on active service and deployed out-of-state;

     (4)  An active member of a police or fire department;

     (5)  A person who has served as a juror, either in a court of this State or the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, within one year preceding the time of filling out the juror qualification form;

     (6)  An active member of an emergency medical services agency;

     (7)  A person living more than seventy miles from the court for which jury service is required;

     (8)  A person eighty years of age or older; [or]

     (9)  A woman who is breastfeeding a child or expressing breast milk for a period of two years from the birth of the child[.];

    (10)  An active member of the Hawaii emergency management agency; or

    (11)  An active member of a county emergency management agency established pursuant to section 127A-5.

     (b)  For purposes of this section, "emergency medical services agency" means any government agency, private agency, or company that provides ambulance services, emergency medical services, or disaster medical services."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Jury Duty; Exemptions; Emergency Management

 

Description:

Exempts active members of the Hawaii emergency management agency and county emergency management agencies from jury duty.

 

 

 

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