This bill amends New Jersey law to explicitly exempt nursing mothers from jury duty. Under the revised statute, a prospective juror who is a mother of a child one year of age or younger and is nursing or expressing milk for that child will be granted an exemption from jury service. This addition aims to alleviate the hardship that jury duty may impose on nursing mothers, who may find it challenging to fulfill both their responsibilities as jurors and their commitment to breastfeeding.

The current law already provides exemptions for various categories of individuals, including those over 75 years of age, individuals who have served on a jury in the past three years, and those facing severe hardships due to medical, financial, or caregiving obligations. The inclusion of nursing mothers in this list reflects a growing recognition of the importance of breastfeeding and its associated health benefits for both infants and mothers, as highlighted by medical professionals and health organizations. The bill is set to take effect immediately and will apply to jurors impaneled after its enactment.