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SB1893 • 2026

Juries and Jurors

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 22, Chapter 1 and Title 22, Chapter 2, relative to jury service.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Bowling, Hale
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/18/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Breastfeeding Mothers Excused from Jury Service

This bill allows breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty if they provide a written request and a medical statement from a licensed physician or certified professional midwife.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows breastfeeding mothers to ask for time off from being on a jury.
  • Requires the mother to give a note from her doctor or another health care provider saying she needs to breastfeed.
  • Adds certified professional midwives as acceptable providers of medical statements, along with licensed physicians.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Breastfeeding mothers who are called for jury duty
  • Courts and jury coordinators in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
A health care provider with special training to help women during childbirth and the postpartum period.
Supporting Medical Statement
A document from a doctor or other healthcare professional that explains why someone needs time off for medical reasons.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how long the excusal lasts.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for not providing the required documentation.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1715

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 22-1-103, allowing breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty if they provide a medical statement.

  • Breastfeeding mothers can now request to be excused from jury service by providing a written request and a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician or certified professional midwife.
  • The amendment does not specify the exact process for submitting requests or how long it takes for approval, which may need clarification.
  • It is unclear if there are any limits on when this exemption applies during the breastfeeding period.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1893

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 22-1-103, allowing breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty if they provide a medical statement.

  • Breastfeeding mothers can now request to be excused from jury service by providing a written request and a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician or certified professional midwife.
  • The amendment does not specify the exact process for submitting the medical statement or how long it takes for the court to respond.
  • It is unclear what happens if a breastfeeding mother does not have access to a licensed physician or certified professional midwife.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/18/2026

  2. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 594

  3. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 594

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 1, PNV 0

  10. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0570)

  11. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  15. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  16. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/26/2026

  17. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  20. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0481)

  21. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  23. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  25. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

  26. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 2/18/2026

  27. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  29. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  30. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  32. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  33. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  35. 2026-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1893, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 adds a certified professional midwife as someone who can provide a supporting medical statement.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1715
By Hale

SENATE BILL 1893
By Bowling
SB1893
011283
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 22,
Chapter 1 and Title 22, Chapter 2, relative to jury
service.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 22-1-103, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
( ) A mother who is breastfeeding a child is excused from jury service upon
providing the court with a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician. The
jury coordinator of the county shall excuse a mother who is breastfeeding a child from
jury service upon receiving a written request to be excused and a supporting medical
statement from a licensed physician.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.