Jury Duty Opt-Out for People 72 Years or Older

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 26-1022 LLS NO. 26-0080.01 Jacob Baus x2173 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Barron, SENATE SPONSORSHIP (None), House Committees Senate Committees State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING AN OPT-OUT FROM JURY SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AT LEAST SEVENTY-TWO YEARS OLD.

Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.) The bill allows a person who is 72 years old or older to choose to temporarily or permanently opt out of jury service. The judge or jury commissioner may require documentation in support of the opt-out.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-71-119.5, add (2.7) as follows: 13-71-119.5. Persons entitled to be excused from or to opt out of jury service - temporary or permanent.

(2.7) (a) (I) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027, A JUDGE OR JURY COMMISSIONER OF THE COURT TO WHICH A PERSON IS SUMMONED FOR JURY SERVICE SHALL ALLOW A PERSON WHO IS SEVENTY-TWO YEARS OLD OR OLDER, AS OF THE BEGINNING DATE OF JURY SERVICE STATED ON THE JUROR SUMMONS, TO TEMPORARILY OPT OUT OF JURY SERVICE IF THE PERSON REQUESTS TO TEMPORARILY OPT OUT OF JURY SERVICE.

(II) A PERSON WHO TEMPORARILY OPTS OUT PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2.7)(a) IS ELIGIBLE FOR JUROR QUALIFICATION WHEN THE TEMPORARY OPT-OUT EXPIRES, AS DETERMINED BY THE COURT.

(b) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION (2.7)(a) OF THIS SECTION, BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2027, A JUDGE OR JURY COMMISSIONER OF THE COURT TO WHICH A PERSON IS SUMMONED FOR JURY SERVICE SHALL ALLOW A PERSON WHO IS SEVENTY-TWO YEARS OLD OR OLDER, AS OF THE BEGINNING DATE OF JURY SERVICE STATED ON THE JUROR SUMMONS, TO PERMANENTLY OPT OUT OF JURY SERVICE IF THE PERSON REQUESTS TO PERMANENTLY OPT OUT OF JURY SERVICE.

(c) THE JUDGE OR JURY COMMISSIONER OF THE COURT TO WHICH A PERSON IS SUMMONED FOR JURY SERVICE MAY REQUIRE THE PERSON WHO REQUESTS EITHER A TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT OPT-OUT FROM JURY SERVICE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2.7) TO PROVIDE A DOCUMENT DEMONSTRATING PROOF OF THEIR AGE.

PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2.7) IS NOT A PUBLIC RECORD AND MUST NOT BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

A DOCUMENT

(d) A PERSON WHO REQUESTS A TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT OPT-OUT FROM JURY SERVICE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2.7) SHALL TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN A DETERMINATION REGARDING THE REQUEST BEFORE THE BEGINNING DATE OF JURY SERVICE STATED ON THE JUROR SUMMONS.

(e) SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A PERSON WHO TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY OPTS OUT OF JURY SERVICE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2.7)(a) OF THIS SECTION.

SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.