Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7946

Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026

Jury Duty: Exemption for Breastfeeding Parents

Mar 16·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

This bill is currently in the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees. No action has been taken on the bill since March 15, 2026. Because it has not moved in three months, it is considered stalled.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 6908 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 6908 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill, introduced by Rep. Norton, would allow breastfeeding parents to be excused from federal jury duty. If a person is called for jury service and is currently breastfeeding, they can simply ask to be let go, and the court must grant that request.
The new rule would apply to all federal courts across the United States and the local court system in Washington, D.C. It aims to make the rules consistent so that parents do not have to worry about how to feed their babies or maintain their health while serving on a long trial.
Right now, whether a breastfeeding person can get out of jury duty often depends on the specific judge or the local court's internal rules. This law would make it a guaranteed right for the individual to choose to be excused if they feel it is necessary for their child's care.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones3 actions

Mar 16, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Mar 16, 2026

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E217)

News

Newsweekunknown

New bill would exempt breastfeeding Americans from jury duty

No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7946

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.