THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	126
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the judiciary to establish and communicate policies regarding an exemption from jury service and accommodations for breastfeeding mothers that engage in jury service.

     WHEREAS, breastfeeding benefits mothers and children; and

     WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics supports evidence that breastfeeding protects against a variety of diseases and conditions in infants, including bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory and urinary tract infections, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, and childhood obesity; and

     WHEREAS, there are also maternal health benefits to breastfeeding, such as decreased postpartum bleeding and more rapid uterine involution, decreased menstrual blood loss, and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers; and

     WHEREAS, the societal benefits of breastfeeding include lower health insurance costs and higher worker productivity; and

     WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, with the World Health Organization and Institute of Medicine concurring, recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months, with continuation of breastfeeding for one year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant; and

     WHEREAS, providing a six-month timeframe for breastfeeding helps families meet the recommendation for optimal infant health; and

     WHEREAS, however, for many mothers, breastfeeding can be difficult to begin and hard to maintain; and

     WHEREAS, jury duty can be burdensome to breastfeeding mothers, as mother-child separation creates a serious challenge to continued breastfeeding; and

     WHEREAS, women who serve on a jury may also lack access to a clean, private space to express breast milk; and

     WHEREAS, supportive policies can help women continue breastfeeding; and

     WHEREAS, the Judiciary has a policy that allows breastfeeding mothers to be exempt from jury duty for one calendar year and ensures that when breastfeeding becomes necessary private, designated spaces and times are provided for breastfeeding mothers; and

     WHEREAS, however, this policy is not widely known or communicated to mothers who are summoned as prospective jurors by the court; and

     WHEREAS, without knowing their options, women may feel they must choose between continuing to breastfeed their child or upholding their civic obligation by reporting to jury duty; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Judiciary is requested to review the information on the Judiciary's website and written information mailed to prospective jurors on how to request an exemption from jury service and accommodations for breastfeeding mothers that engage in jury service; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to revise information and forms, as appropriate, to clearly communicate the information to breastfeeding mothers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is requested to submit a written report to the Legislature regarding the review and revision of the policies and information relating to requesting a jury service exemption and accommodations for breastfeeding mothers that engage in jury service, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice and Administrative Director of the Courts.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Jury Service; Exemption; Accommodations; Breastfeeding Mothers; Policies; Judiciary; Report