Sponsor
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Representative · D-DC
Representative · D-DC
The bill lets breastfeeding parents opt out of federal/D.C. jury service to protect breastfeeding and reduce childcare/health burdens, at the cost of shrinking juror pools and risking uneven access across districts.
Breastfeeding parents (postpartum individuals) can request excusal from federal or D.C. jury service, letting them avoid serving when it would conflict with infant care.
Breastfeeding parents will face reduced childcare and health burdens — making it easier to continue breastfeeding and manage lactation without interruption during a jury summons.
Breastfeeding parents could receive uneven access to the excusal if local jury plans or clerk practices differ across districts, resulting in inconsistent treatment.
Courts and taxpayers may see smaller available juror pools and slower or more burdensome jury selection in areas with many breastfeeding parents, potentially increasing delays or administrative costs.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Permits federal and D.C. courts to excuse individuals who are breastfeeding from jury service upon request.
Official title: To exempt breastfeeding individuals from jury duty, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 16, 2026 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress March 16, 2026
Creates a clear exemption allowing people who are breastfeeding to be excused from federal and District of Columbia jury service upon request. Courts (or clerks under court supervision, where allowed by local jury plans) would be authorized to excuse a summoned individual who is breastfeeding. The change updates federal jury-selection law and the D.C. Code to add breastfeeding as a discretionary ground for exclusion from jury service, reducing a potential barrier for new parents called for jury duty while breastfeeding.