SENATE BILL NO. 330

A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

by amending section 1307a (MCL 600.1307a), as amended by 2023 PA 308.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1307a. (1) To qualify as a juror, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) Be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, and a resident in the county for which the individual is selected, and in the case of a district court in districts of the second and third class, be a resident of the district.

(b) Be able to communicate in the English language.

(c) Be physically and mentally able to carry out the functions of a juror. Temporary inability must not be considered a disqualification.

(d) Not have served as a petit or grand juror in a court of record during the preceding 12 months.

(e) Not have been convicted of a felony.

(2) An individual more than 70 years of age may claim exemption from jury service and must be exempt upon making the request.

(3) An individual who is a nursing mother may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which she is nursing her child and must be exempt upon making the request if she provides a letter from a physician, a lactation consultant, or a certified nurse midwife verifying that she is a nursing mother.

(4) An individual who is a participant in the address confidentiality program created under the address confidentiality program act, 2020 PA 301, MCL 780.851 to 780.873, may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which the individual is a program participant. To obtain an exemption under this subsection, the individual must provide the participation card issued by the department of attorney general upon the individual's certification as a program participant to the court as evidence that the individual is a current participant in the address confidentiality program.

(5) An individual who is a service member of the United States Armed Forces may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which the individual is on active duty and must be exempt upon making the request of the court and providing a copy of the service member's orders.

(6) An individual who is the spouse of a service member of the United States Armed Forces may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which the individual resides outside of this state or the United States due to the service member's active duty status. The spouse under this section subsection must be exempt upon making the request of the court and providing a copy of the service member's orders.

(7) An individual who is the familial caretaker of a hospice patient or is in a period of bereavement may claim exemption from jury service for the period of care. The familial caretaker under this subsection must be exempt upon making the request of the court and providing a letter from a physician, a certified nurse, or any official member of the hospice team assigned to the patient's care that verifies that the individual is a familial caregiver of the patient.

(8) An individual who is the parental caregiver of a child with a serious health condition may claim exemption from jury service for the period of care. The parental caregiver under this subsection must be exempt upon making the request of the court and providing a letter from a physician, a certified nurse, or an official member of the health care team assigned to the child's care that verifies the individual is the parental caregiver of the child with a serious health condition.

(9) (7) For the purposes of this section and sections 1371 to 1376, an individual has served as a juror if that individual has been paid for jury service.

(10) (8) As used in this section:

(a) "Certified nurse midwife" means an individual licensed as a registered professional nurse under article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, who has been issued a specialty certification in the practice of nurse midwifery by the board of nursing under section 17210 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17210.

(b) "Familial caretaker" means a family member, close family friend, or another important adult in the patient's life or the patient's family's life that provides full-time care, nurturing, or protection of the patient.

(c) "Family member" means a spouse, adult child, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or a member of the individual's tribe or clan.

(d) (b) "Felony" means a violation of a penal law of this state, another state, or the United States for which the offender, upon conviction, may be punished by death or by imprisonment for more than 1 year or an offense expressly designated by law to be a felony.

(e) (c) "Lactation consultant" means a lactation consultant certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.

(f) "Parental caregiver" means an individual who is the caregiver of any of the following:

(i) The individual's biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, or legal ward.

(ii) A child of a covered individual's domestic partner.

(iii) A child to whom a covered individual stands in loco parentis.

(iv) An individual to whom a covered individual stood in loco parentis when the individual was a minor.

(g) "Period of bereavement" means 1 year after the death of the patient in hospice.

(h) "Period of care" means the period of time that an individual is a familial caretaker and includes a period of bereavement.

(i) (d) "Physician" means an individual licensed by the state to engage in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine and surgery under article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838.

(j) "Serious health condition" means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves either of the following:

(i) Inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential care facility.

(ii) Continuous treatment by a health care provider.