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Bill

HB 789

Jury duty; reinstate person's name to master list once voting rights restored upon satisfaction of all sentencing requirements.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Timaka James-Jones and 1 co-sponsor

Automatically restore jury duty eligibility for individuals once voting rights are restored after completing all sentencing requirements.

Referred To Apportionment and Elections;Judiciary B
#apportionmentandelections #judiciaryb
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Bill Summary · HB 789

Legislative bill overview

HB 789 would automatically reinstate individuals' names to the jury duty master list once they have completed all sentencing requirements and had their voting rights restored. Currently, people with felony convictions may remain excluded from jury pools indefinitely even after fully satisfying their sentences. This bill creates a mechanism to restore jury eligibility upon the restoration of voting rights.

Why is this important

Jury duty eligibility directly affects civic participation and access to representative juries. People who have completed sentences but remain permanently excluded from juries face ongoing collateral consequences that can signal continued "unfitness" to society. This impacts both the individuals seeking reintegration and the composition of juries, which ideally should reflect community diversity.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition of "all sentencing requirements" – Uncertainty about what constitutes full completion (fines, restitution, probation periods, etc.) and who verifies this could create implementation challenges
  • Automatic vs. petition-based restoration – Some may argue individuals should apply separately to rejoin juries rather than automatic reinstatement, citing concerns about case-by-case assessment
  • Relationship to voting rights restoration – The bill ties jury eligibility to voting rights, but these involve different civic functions and some may question whether the standards should align

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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