What to Know
- Women in New York will soon have a new legal reason to get out of jury duty
- The state Senate and Assembly both passed legislation this week that would allow women to delay up to 2 years if they are breastfeeding
- The bill now goes to Gov. Cuomo, a Democrat, who is expected to sign the measure into law
Lawmakers in New York have voted to exempt nursing mothers from jury duty.
The Senate and Assembly this week both passed legislation which would permit women to delay jury duty up to two years if they are breastfeeding a baby.
Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, a Bronx Democrat who sponsored the bill, said Thursday that women should be allowed to postpone their service in order to prioritize the well-being of their child.
Under the proposal, nursing mothers could use a doctor's note to delay their service on a jury.
The bill now goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, who is expected to sign the measure into law. It's not immediately clear when the new rule will take effect once that happens.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
