Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act

# Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act Summary **What the Bill Would Do** This bill would prohibit courts from automatically excluding people from jury service based solely on their age or disability status. Currently, judges can dismiss potential jurors during jury selection if they have disabilities or are older adults, even without assessing whether the individual can actually perform jury duties. The legislation would require courts to conduct individualized evaluations instead—meaning judges would need to determine on a case-by-case basis whether a specific person can serve, rather than making blanket assumptions based on age or disability. **Who It Affects and Key Provisions** The bill affects potential jurors with disabilities and older Americans, as well as the court system overall.

It aims to expand jury pools by ensuring qualified people aren't excluded due to stereotypes or blanket policies. The legislation would likely require courts to provide reasonable accommodations to enable people with disabilities to serve on juries when capable of doing so. **Current Status** As of now, HR 5096 is in committee, meaning it has been introduced but has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. The bill was sponsored by Representative Lateefah Simon (D-CA) in the 119th Congress.