S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6090
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 5, 2025
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Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to optional excusal from
jury service for persons age 70 and over
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 517 of the judiciary law is
amended by adding a new paragraph 3 to read as follows:
(3) AN APPLICATION FOR EXCUSAL FROM THE WHOLE OF THE TIME OF JURY
SERVICE SHALL BE GRANTED HEREUNDER UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY PERSON WHO IS
SEVENTY YEARS OF AGE OR OVER MADE TO THE COMMISSIONER OF JURORS, WITHOUT
ANY NEED TO SHOW MENTAL OR PHYSICAL INCAPACITY, UNDUE HARDSHIP OR
EXTREME INCONVENIENCE TO THE APPLICANT. THE APPLICATION WITH PROOF OF
AGE SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSIONER BY MAIL, FAX, EMAIL OR IN
PERSON AT SUCH TIME AS SUCH COMMISSIONER SHALL REQUIRE.
§ 2. Subdivision (c) of section 517 of the judiciary law, as amended
by chapter 86 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
(c) [In] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH THREE OF SUBDIVISION (A) OF
THIS SECTION, IN determining whether an application for excusal should
be granted, the commissioner or the court shall consider whether the
applicant has a mental or physical condition that causes [him or her]
SUCH APPLICANT to be incapable of performing jury service or there is
any other fact WHICH indicates that attendance for jury service in
accordance with the summons would cause undue hardship or extreme incon-
venience to the applicant, a person under [his or her] SUCH APPLICANT'S
care or supervision, or the public. Except as provided in paragraph two
of subdivision (a) of this section, in determining whether an applica-
tion for postponement should be granted, the commissioner or the court
shall be guided by standards promulgated by the chief administrator of
the courts.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of September next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.