This bill amends New Jersey law to explicitly exempt nursing mothers from jury duty. Under the current statute, nursing mothers do not have a specific exemption, which can create challenges for those who are breastfeeding or expressing milk for their infants. The bill adds a provision that allows a prospective juror to be excused from service if they are the mother of a child who is one year of age or younger and is nursing or expressing milk for that child. This addition aims to alleviate the potential hardship that jury duty may impose on nursing mothers.

In addition to the new exemption for nursing mothers, the bill retains existing provisions that allow for jury duty exemptions based on age, prior jury service, severe hardship due to medical conditions, caregiving responsibilities, and certain professional obligations. The intent of the bill is to support breastfeeding mothers, acknowledging the health benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and mothers, as recognized by health authorities, including the U.S. Surgeon General and the New Jersey Department of Health. The bill is set to take effect immediately and will apply to jurors impaneled after its enactment.