HB1440 establishes parental accommodations in Maryland circuit courthouses and jury service rules. For circuit courthouses constructed or undergoing major renovation on or after October 1, 2025, the bill requires a private lactation room on the premises for court employees and members of the public. The room must include a chair and table, an electrical outlet for a breast pump, a lockable door, a sink, and a refrigerator.
The bill also expands jury-service excusal provisions. It defines “breast-feeding mother” and allows a jury judge or jury commissioner to excuse a summoned individual if the person is a breast-feeding mother or has legal custody of and is personally responsible for a child under age 43 requiring continuous care during normal court hours. The excusal is discretionary, time-limited, and generally may not be granted more than twice absent an extraordinary circumstance.
In addition, the Maryland Judiciary must collect and report annual data to the General Assembly beginning December 31, 2025, on requests for these excusals and whether they were granted or denied, broken down by jurisdiction, type of excusal, and outcome. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, primarily sections 1-505, 8-101, and 8-402.
The bill’s impact is to create new courthouse facility requirements and to broaden, while still limiting, jury-duty accommodations for breastfeeding mothers and certain caregivers. It also adds a reporting requirement intended to give lawmakers data on how often these accommodations are requested and approved, which may inform future policy changes.
The available voting history suggests broad support, with unanimous passage in both chambers. No committee transcript is provided, and there is no recorded opposition in the materials supplied. The main policy issue reflected in the bill is balancing jury-service obligations with caregiving and lactation needs, rather than a partisan or highly contentious dispute.
HB1440 amends the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article to require certain newly built or substantially renovated circuit courthouses to include a private lactation room and to expand discretionary jury excusals for breastfeeding mothers and certain caregivers. It also requires the Maryland Judiciary to collect and report annual excusal data to the General Assembly, creating a new administrative reporting obligation and adding a facility standard for qualifying courthouses.
The bill appears to have been received positively and without recorded opposition in the materials provided. It passed both chambers unanimously, indicating broad legislative agreement on providing courthouse accommodations for breastfeeding and caregiving responsibilities. No committee discussion transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the vote totals suggest strong consensus.
The principal policy question is how far jury-service accommodations should extend for parents and caregivers while preserving the integrity of jury administration. The bill makes excusal for breastfeeding mothers and certain caregivers discretionary rather than mandatory, which may reflect an effort to balance accommodation with court needs. Another possible point of concern is the scope of the courthouse construction mandate, since it applies only to circuit courthouses built or undergoing major renovation on or after October 1, 2025, leaving older facilities unaffected.