THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2315

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

 

PROPOSED

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO JURY DUTY.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that enabling parents to care for their newborn child has significant immediate and long-term benefits for the child and the child's parents.  Enabling mothers to care for their newborn children can reduce infant mortality and increase the rate and duration of breastfeeding.  The American Academy of Pediatrics supports evidence that breastfeeding protects against a variety of diseases and conditions in infants, including bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory and urinary tract infections, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, and childhood obesity.  There are also maternal health benefits to breastfeeding, such as decreased postpartum bleeding and more rapid uterine involution, decreased menstrual blood loss, and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.  The societal benefits of breastfeeding include lower health insurance costs and higher worker productivity.

     The legislature further finds that enabling fathers to look after their newborn children has positive effects.  Studies have shown that fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in childcare tasks, such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and playing with their children.  Furthermore, fathers are able to establish a bond earlier with their child.

     The legislature finds that jury duty may create a hardship for mothers who breastfeed their children, as mother-child separation creates a serious challenge to continued breastfeeding, and for fathers who may be caring for a newborn child.  An exemption from jury duty for parents of a newborn child can positively impact the relationship between parent and child.

     The purpose of this Act is to allow parents to care for their newborn children by exempting them from jury service while the child is six months old or younger.

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

     "§612-6  Exempt when.  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; [or]

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

     (9)  A parent for the active care and custody of the parent's natural born or adopted child while the child is six months old or younger.

     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 January 7, 2059.



 

Report Title:

Breastfeeding; Jury Duty; Exemption

 

Description:

Exempts from jury duty parents for the active care and custody of natural born or adopted children while the children are six months old and younger.  (SB2315 HD1 PROPOSED)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.