Tennessee Senate Bill SB1893

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Engrossed: 2/23/26
• Enrolled: 3/3/26
• Passed: 3/18/26
• Chaptered: 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

SB1893 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 applies only to jury service, modifying Tennessee Code Annotated Title 22, Chapters 1 and 2. It does not change the general rules for jury selection or other categories of exemptions, but it adds breastfeeding status as a recognized basis for excusal. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting a stated public welfare need.

Impact

The bill changes Tennessee’s jury-service exemption framework by adding a mandatory excusal for breastfeeding mothers who submit the required documentation. It places an administrative duty on county jury coordinators to honor the request once a written request and supporting medical statement are provided, and it may reduce the pool of available jurors in a limited set of cases involving new mothers. The measure affects courts, county jury administrators, and breastfeeding parents who are summoned for jury duty.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support and little opposition. The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended passage unanimously, the Senate floor passed the amended bill 32-0, and the House passed it 93-1. That pattern indicates the bill was generally viewed favorably as a practical accommodation for breastfeeding mothers serving on juries.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive controversy in the available record. The main policy question appears to be whether breastfeeding should be treated as a mandatory excuse from jury service and what documentation should be required to verify the request. The bill requires a supporting medical statement from either a licensed physician or a certified professional midwife, which may reflect an effort to balance accommodation with verification, but no recorded debate or committee transcript is available showing organized opposition.