Breastfeeding Jury Duty Exemption Act

Summary#

The Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026 would amend federal jury-service law and the District of Columbia Official Code. Its stated aim is to exempt breastfeeding people from jury duty. The bill has been introduced but is not law; whether it passes is uncertain.

  • In federal courts, a breastfeeding person summoned for jury service who asks to be excused must be excused by the court. A clerk may do this only if the court’s jury selection plan authorizes it and the clerk acts under court supervision.
  • In District of Columbia courts, the bill would add breastfeeding, upon the individual’s request, as a ground for exclusion by the court.
  • The bill does not require anyone to request an exemption, and it does not set out an application or review process.

What it means for you#

  • Breastfeeding people summoned for federal jury service: You would have to request to be excused. If you do, the court must excuse you; an authorized clerk could handle the request under court supervision.
  • Breastfeeding people summoned for DC jury service: You could request exclusion, and the bill says the court would exclude you.
  • Courts and authorized clerks: They would have to handle these requests under the bill’s rules. The bill does not say what information a person must provide.
  • Current law: The parent laws were not supplied, so I could not verify which exemptions already exist or fully compare the bill with current rules.

Money#

No publicly available information.

  • The bill gives no cost estimate. Courts may have administrative work handling requests; the bill does not estimate that cost.

What is unclear#

  • The bill does not define “breastfeeding,” including how long the exemption would apply.
  • It does not say whether a person must provide proof, how to request an exemption, or how quickly a request must be decided.
  • It does not set a start date.
  • Because the parent laws were not supplied, the bill’s full interaction with existing jury exemptions and procedures is unclear.

Case for#

  • A possible argument for the bill is that it lets breastfeeding people avoid jury service when they request an exemption, rather than requiring them to serve.
  • The requirement that an individual request the exemption means it would not automatically remove every breastfeeding person from jury service.

Case against#

  • The bill does not define breastfeeding or set limits on how long the exemption applies, so the scope is uncertain.
  • It does not specify proof or request procedures, which could leave courts to work out how to handle requests.
  • A possible trade-off is that excusing more summoned people could leave fewer people available for jury service; the bill does not discuss that effect.