STAND. COM. REP. NO. 378-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 1868

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1868 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JURY DUTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to lower the age a person may claim an exemption from jury duty from eighty years of age or older to seventy-five years of age or older.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Judiciary. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Executive Office on Aging.

Your Committee finds that currently, persons eighty years of age or older may claim an exemption from jury duty. While a member on your Committee was concerned that this measure may be discriminating against people based on age, another member on your Committee noted that the exemption authorized by this measure is voluntary and does not automatically disqualify an individual from jury service.

Your Committee further finds that according to testimony from the Executive Office on Aging, individuals seventy-five years of age or older may have poor health, difficulty sitting for prolonged periods of time, difficulty climbing stairs, and difficulty traveling to court. Therefore, serving on a jury may be an undue hardship for some older individuals.

However, your Committee also finds that a large portion of the eligible jury pool is in their mid-sixties to late seventies. To avoid possible exemptions from a large portion of the jury pool, your Committee believes that the exempted age should be adjusted.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by changing:

(1) The age a person may claim an exemption from jury duty to seventy‑seven years old; and

(2) The effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1868, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1868, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair