Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation into law that will allow some older adults to get a permanent exemption from jury duty in California.
Assembly Bill 1359, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2028, will allow residents 80 and older with a medical condition to seek a permanent exemption from jury duty service without submitting a doctor’s note.
“Thank you to all of our seniors for their many decades of service and thank you to the Governor for helping provide some relief to those who feel they're no longer able to serve on a jury,” Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, the bill’s author, said in a Facebook post.
How current law works
Some states offer age-based exemptions from jury service. In Texas, for example, a person 75 years of age or older may be permanently excused
from serving on a jury. However, in California, there is no age exemption for jury service.
Under current California law,potential jurors who are 70 years of age or older can be excused due to a medical condition without a doctor’s note. However, they remain in the jury pool and must submit a written request to the court each time they receive a jury summons.
How new law will work
After the new law takes effect in 2028, a person 80 years of age or older could submit a written statement to the court, saying they have a medical impairment that permanently prevents them from serving on a jury. No additional medical documentation would be required. If approved, the person would no longer be in the jury pool, permanently exempting them from jury duty.
"Seniors can still of course serve if they're willing and able to, but they won't have to jump through hoops if they can't or don't want to be considered for jury duty," Ahrens said in an Aug. 20 Facebook post when the bill passed in the legislature.
Andrew Mendoza, the director of state affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association, said during a June hearing, that the measure would be particularly helpful for people who have Alzheimer’s disease and do not have a caregiver who can assist them, CalMatters reported.
“This bill can assist vulnerable populations avoid what would otherwise be a stressful process to obtain documents and explain their condition as a disability during a time of great circumstantial change,” he said, according to the news outlet.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Some California older adults can soon get permanent jury duty exemption
