07 LC 37
0459S
The
House Committee on Judiciary offers the following substitute to HB
188:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 15-12-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to exemptions from jury duty, so as to provide for an exemption for a primary
caregiver of a person aged six or older with physical or cognitive limitations;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 15-12-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
exemptions from jury duty, is amended in subsection (a) by adding a new
paragraph to read as follows:
"(5)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary
unpaid caregiver for a person over the age of six; who executes an affidavit on
a form provided by the court stating that such primary caregiver is responsible
for the care of a person with such physical or cognitive limitations that he or
she is unable to care for himself or herself and cannot be left unattended and
that the primary caregiver has no reasonably available alternative to provide
for the care; and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or
deferred from jury duty. Any person seeking the exemption shall furnish to the
court, in addition to the aforementioned affidavit, a statement of a physician,
or other medical provider, supporting the affidavit´s statements related to
the person´s medical condition. It shall be the duty of the court to
provide affidavits for the purpose of this paragraph."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.