House Bill 188

Chair's Name: Wendell Willard

Committee:   Judiciary Civil           

House Sponsor: Ed Rynders

HB 188 allows an additional exemption from jury duty for primary unpaid caregivers for those over six years of age who have physical or cognitive limitations and cannot care for themselves.  To request this exemption, the caregiver must complete the affidavit provided by the court and supply a statement of a physician or other medical provider supporting the affidavit.

This committee substitute comes to the House Floor under the Modified Structured Rule.

Chairman Willard’s opinion of the legislation:

Georgia Gerontology Society, Georgia Council on Aging, and SOWEGA Council on Aging supported the bill at the Committee hearing. This is a narrow exemption from jury duty for unpaid caregivers to allow relatives and other unpaid caregivers to care for people with Alzheimers, dementia, etc., because it is difficult to find an unpaid replacement for such an intense job.  This job is, unfortunately, often a temporary caregiving job, because many people in need of care are in their last years, so the exemption would often only be temporary.