Rep. Amesty files bill to excuse new moms from jury duty regardless of employment status

Republican state Rep. Carolina Amesty last week joined Republican state Sen. Erin Grall to file legislation that would allow all women who have recently given birth to be excused from jury duty.

Currently, under Florida Statute 40.013(4), expectant mothers and parents who don't work full time and have kids under six can be excused from jury duty.

Senate Bill 462 and its companion House Bill 461 would allow any woman who gave birth within six months of being called for jury duty to be excused from serving, regardless of her employment status. Requests to be excused would need to be made in writing and accompanied by a birth certificate.

“Strong and healthy families should be at the heart of our state's policy-making,” said Amesty who represents Windermere and Winter Garden, in a statement emailed to VoxPopuli Tuesday.

“With this bill, Florida will join ranks with over a dozen states as politically diverse as California and Iowa and allow new mothers to be excused from jury duty. Other states’ exemptions mainly focus on breastfeeding women, which is a great start, but we want to be inclusive of all moms. I believe every mother deserves the chance to spend precious time to bond with her newborn. In the Sunshine State, we're committed to helping women bond with their babies during these invaluable early moments.”