STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2597
Honolulu, Hawaii
President of the Senate
Twenty-Seventh State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2452 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JURY DUTY,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt breastfeeding mothers or mothers who are expressing milk from jury duty for up to one year from the time the mother began breastfeeding the child.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Hawaii Chapter; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; Hawaii Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; Breastfeeding Hawaii; Hawaii Dietetic Association; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary.
Your Committee finds that according to the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, only one in five children in Hawaii are exclusively breastfed within the first six months of life as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization recommends that children be exclusively breastfed up to the age of six months then continue to be breastfed up to two years of age to reduce risk of infectious diseases, asthma, allergies, certain childhood cancers, obesity, and diabetes. Furthermore, the Commission testified that twelve states in addition to Puerto Rico have laws that exempt breastfeeding women from jury duty. This measure will allow breastfeeding mothers the opportunity and choice to be exempt from serving jury duty.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2452 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,
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CLAYTON HEE, Chair |
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