Norton Introduces Bill to Allow Breastfeeding Individuals to be Excused from Jury Duty

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced the Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026, which would allow people called for jury duty who are breastfeeding to be excused from jury service in federal court and in the federally controlled D.C. Superior Court upon their request. Norton says a constituent raised this issue in a letter to her office. The health benefits of breastfeeding are so well-documented that Norton wanted to bring jury service in line with existing federal policy that encourages breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding has well-documented health benefits for infants and families," Norton said. "Requiring nursing parents to serve on jury duty can create an unnecessary barrier to breastfeeding and place added strain on families during a critical time for a child's development. My bill would allow people who are breastfeeding to be excused from jury service so they're not forced to choose between fulfilling a civic duty and caring for their child. This legislation builds on my efforts to support breastfeeding nationwide, including my bill requiring federal facilities to provide lactation spaces, which was signed into lawin 2019."

Norton's introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026

March 16, 2026

Today, I introduce the Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2026, which would allow breastfeeding individuals summoned for jury service in the federal courts or the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to be excused from service upon the individual's request. The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented, and individuals should not be deterred from breastfeeding by jury service.

This bill would apply to the D.C. Superior Court because Congress is the only legislative body that can mandate this exemption for the D.C. Superior Court. The D.C. Home Rule Act prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting any law relating to Title 11 of the D.C. Code, which governs jury service in the D.C. Superior Court.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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