AN ACT relating to jury duty.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1661
Page 1 of 1
XXXX 1/12/2026 4:17 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to jury duty. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 29A.100 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) Upon the request of a prospective juror prior to assignment to a trial court, the Chief 4
Circuit Judge, or after the juror's assignment to a trial court, the trial judge may 5
excuse such juror upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or 6
public necessity. On the day [ on which] the prospective jurors are summonsed to 7
appear, any person not previously excused who desires to be excused shall be 8
heard. 9
(2) The Chief Circuit Judge may designate and authorize one (1) or more judges of the 10
court, the court's clerk, a deputy clerk, the court's administrator, or a deputy court 11
administrator to excuse a juror from service for a period not to exceed ten (10) days 12
or to postpone jury service for a period no t to exceed twelve (12) months. The 13
reasons for excuse or postponement shall be entered in the space provided on the 14
juror qualification form. 15
(3) In his or her discretion the judge may excuse a juror from service entirely, reduce 16
the number of days of ser vice, or may postpone the juror's service temporarily for a 17
period of time not to exceed [, however,] twenty-four (24) months. Whenever 18
possible the judge shall favor temporary postponement of service or reduced service 19
over permanent excuse. When excusing a juror, the judge shall record the juror's 20
name, as provided in KRS 29A.080, and the reasons for granting the excuse. 21
(4) The judge shall excuse a: 22
(a) Mother who is breastfeeding a child or expressing breastmilk from jury 23
service until such time as the child is old enough that the mother is no longer 24
breastfeeding the child; and 25
(b) Teacher until the end of the current school term as defined in KRS 158.0 70 26
if the Commonwealth is experiencing a teacher shortage. 27