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SB2025
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
2025
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to jury duty
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION
1.
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The legislature finds that advanced practice
registered nurses in the State have full practice authority and provide primary
and specialist care to the elderly, disabled, and all people in the State.
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The legislature further finds that the care
provided by advanced practice registered nurses is comparable in outcomes to the
care provided by physicians.
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With
advances in legislation to improve access to advanced practice registered nurse
care, many advanced practice registered nurses have been able to establish
freestanding practices under their own professional corporations similar to
those of physicians.
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Currently, under
section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, of all healthcare professionals, only
physicians and dentists are exempt from serving jury duty.
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Removing an advanced practice registered
nurse from the nurse's daily practice to serve on a jury deprives patients of
needed health care services and can be a financial hardship for an advanced
practice registered nurse who owns a practice and is responsible for overhead
costs.
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The legislature also finds that a
jury duty exemption does not preclude a person from jury duty service if the
person chooses to serve.
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Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to
allow actively practicing
advanced practice registered nurses to claim exemption from service as a juror
.
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SECTION
2
.
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Section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:
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"
�612-6
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Exempt when.
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A person may
claim exemption from service as a juror if the person is:
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(1)
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An elected official while the legislature is
in session, or a judge of the United States, State, or county;
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(2)
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An actively practicing physician
, advanced
practice registered nurse,
or dentist;
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(3)
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A member of the armed forces or militia when
on active service and deployed out-of-state;
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(4)
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An active member of a police or fire
department;
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(5)
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A person who has served as a juror, either in
a court of this State or the United States District Court for the District of
Hawaii, within one year preceding the time of filling out the juror
qualification form;
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(6)
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An active member of an emergency medical
services agency;
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(7)
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A person living more than seventy miles from
the court for which jury service is required;
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(8)
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A person eighty years of age or older; or
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(9)
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A woman who is breastfeeding a child or
expressing breast milk for a period of two years from the birth of the child.
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For
purposes of this section, "emergency medical services agency" means
any government agency, private agency, or company that provides ambulance
services, emergency medical services, or disaster medical services."
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SECTION
3.
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New statutory material is
underscored.
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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Jury
Duty; Advanced Practice Registered Nurses; Exemption
Description:
Allows actively practicing advanced practice registered
nurses to claim exemption from service as a juror.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.