Tennessee House Bill HB1715

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/16/26
• Refer: 1/22/26
• Refer: 2/11/26
• Refer: 2/18/26
• Chaptered: 3/23/26
• Passed: 3/23/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 22, Chapter 1 and Title 22, Chapter 2, relative to jury service.

Summary

HB1715 amends Tennessee law governing jury service to create a specific excuse from jury duty for a mother who is breastfeeding a child. Under the bill, the mother must provide the court with a written request to be excused and a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician or a certified professional midwife. The county jury coordinator is then required to excuse the person from service upon receipt of those materials. The bill is narrow in scope and does not change the general rules for jury selection or service beyond this new exemption. It adds a new category of mandatory excuse to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 22, Chapter 1, which governs juror qualifications and exemptions, and it may also affect related jury administration procedures in Title 22, Chapter 2. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law because the public welfare requires it.

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee’s jury-service statutes to require courts and county jury coordinators to excuse breastfeeding mothers from jury duty when the statutory documentation is provided. This creates a new, explicit exemption in state law and imposes a corresponding administrative duty on local jury officials to process the request and supporting medical statement. It affects jurors, courts, and county jury administration systems, but does not otherwise alter criminal or civil procedure beyond jury-service eligibility and exemptions.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong and unanimous support in committee, with the House Civil Justice Subcommittee voting 6-0 and the House Judiciary Committee voting 21-0 to recommend passage. No committee transcripts were provided, but the unanimous votes suggest the bill was viewed favorably and as a practical accommodation rather than a controversial change. The final enactment indicates broad legislative approval.

Contention

No major opposition is reflected in the provided materials. The only potential point of discussion is the bill’s requirement for a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician or certified professional midwife, which could raise questions about documentation standards, access to qualifying providers, and how courts should verify breastfeeding status. Otherwise, the bill appears to have been noncontroversial and supported across committee lines.