CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

HOUSE BILL 1312

Chapter 205, Laws of 2023

68TH LEGISLATURE

2023 REGULAR SESSION

JURY SERVICE—PERSONS 80 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2023

HOUSE BILL 1312

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

ByRepresentatives Rude, Entenman, Goodman, Ortiz-Self, and Ormsby

AN ACT Relating to allowing persons who are 70 years of age or older to opt out of juror service; and amending RCW 2.36.100.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 2.36.100 and 2015 c 7 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except for a person who is not qualified for jury service under RCW 2.36.070 or who chooses to opt out of jury service under subsection (2) of this section, no person may be excused from jury service by the court except upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or any reason deemed sufficient by the court for a period of time the court deems necessary.

(2) A person who is 80 years of age or older may request to be excused from jury service if the person attests that the person is unable to serve due to health reasons. An attestation form must be developed by the court and may not include a requirement that a doctor's note be provided. This request must be granted by the court.

(3) At the discretion of the court's designee, after a request by a prospective juror to be excused, a prospective juror excused from juror service for a particular time may be assigned to another jury term within the twelve-month period. If the assignment to another jury term is made at the time a juror is excused from the jury term for which he or she was summoned, a second summons under RCW 2.36.095 need not be issued. This subsection does not apply to people excused from jury service under subsection (2) of this section.

(((3)))(4) When the jury source list has been fully summoned within a consecutive twelve-month period and additional jurors are needed, jurors who have already served during the consecutive twelve-month period may be summoned again for service. A juror who has previously served may only be excused if he or she served at least one week of juror service within the preceding twelve months. An excuse for prior service shall be granted only upon the written request of the prospective juror, which request shall certify the terms of prior service. Prior jury service may include service in superior court, in a court of limited jurisdiction, in the United States District Court, or on a jury of inquest.

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