HB-4869, As Passed House, March 16, 2016

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4869

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

by amending section 1307a (MCL 600.1307a), as amended by 2012 PA

69.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 1307a. (1) To qualify as a juror, a person shall meet all

of the following criteria:

     (a) Be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or

older, and a resident in the county for which the person is

selected, and in the case of a district court in districts of the

second and third class, be a resident of the district.

     (b) Be able to communicate in the English language.

     (c) Be physically and mentally able to carry out the functions

of a juror. Temporary inability shall not be considered a

disqualification.

     (d) Not have served as a petit or grand juror in a court of

record during the preceding 12 months.

     (e) Not have been convicted of a felony.

     (2) A person more than 70 years of age may claim exemption

from jury service and shall be exempt upon making the request.

     (3) A nursing mother may claim exemption from jury service for

the period during which she is nursing her child and shall be

exempt upon making the request if she provides a letter from a

physician, a lactation consultant, or a certified nurse midwife

verifying that she is a nursing mother.

     (4) A physician may obtain a postponement of jury service to a

specified date agreed upon by the physician and the court if the

physician has 1 or more patients with immediate, imminent, and

life-threatening health issues. To obtain a postponement under this

subsection, the physician shall provide a letter to the court

providing facts sufficient to support the postponement and

requesting a postponement period of not less than 3 months or more

than 1 year.

(5) (4) For the purposes of this section and sections 1371 to

1376, a person has served as a juror if that person has been paid

for jury service.

(6) (5) For purposes of this section:

     (a) "Certified nurse midwife" means an individual licensed as

a registered professional nurse under article 15 of the public

health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, who has been

issued a specialty certification in the practice of nurse midwifery

by the board of nursing under section 17210 of the public health

code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17210.

     (b) "Felony" means a violation of a penal law of this state,

another state, or the United States for which the offender, upon

conviction, may be punished by death or by imprisonment for more

than 1 year or an offense expressly designated by law to be a

felony.

     (c) "Lactation consultant" means a lactation consultant

certified by the international board of lactation consultant

examiners.International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.

     (d) "Physician" means an individual licensed by the state to

engage in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine and

surgery under article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368,

MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838.

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

after the date it is enacted into law.