Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026

Eleanor Holmes Norton

Democrat · DC · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

2026-03-16

Source: Congress.gov

This bill would allow people who are breastfeeding to be excused from jury duty, recognizing that nursing mothers may face challenges in serving on juries for extended periods. The exemption would apply in federal courts and would give judges the flexibility to excuse potential jurors who are actively breastfeeding without requiring them to provide detailed personal information. The change aims to make jury service more accessible for nursing parents while maintaining the fairness of the court system.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7946 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7946 To exempt breastfeeding individuals from jury duty, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 16, 2026 Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To exempt breastfeeding individuals from jury duty, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. JURY DUTY EXEMPTION FOR BREASTFEEDING INDIVIDUALS. (a) Courts of the United States.--Section 1866 of title 28, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in subsection (c), by inserting after ``Except as provided'' the following: ``in subsection (h) of this section,''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(h) An individual who is breastfeeding summoned for jury service shall be excused by the court, or by the clerk under supervision of the court if the court's jury selection plan so authorizes, upon the individual's request.''. (b) Courts of the District of Columbia.--Section 11-1908(b), District of Columbia Official Code, is amended-- (1) by striking ``or (4)'' and inserting ``(4)''; and (2) by striking the period at the end of the first sentence and inserting the following: ``; or (5) excluded by the Court upon the request of the individual if the individual is breastfeeding.''. <all>

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