Key Jury-Related Legislation in 2020
The Fully Informed Jury Association tracks key, jury-related legislation under consideration in the states' 2020 legislative sessions. This data is supplied for informational and educational purposes only. Inclusion of proposed legislation on this list does not imply support for or opposition to any oppose any particular measure listed.
Click a state's name below to jump to that state's data in the listings below. If a state's name in this list is not in bold type, we have not yet identified any key legislation under consideration in that state's legislative session. If a state's name in this list is in bold type, key, jury-related legislation has been identified in that state's legislative session. If a state's name in this list is in italics and orange, bold type, a jury nullification measure is among the key, jury-related legislation under consideration in that state's legislative session.
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado
Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana
Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York
North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania
Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Alabama
Alabama Legislature
Regular sesssion convenes 4 February 2020 and adjourns 19 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Alaska
Alaska State Legislature
Regular sesssion convenes 21 January 2020 and adjourns 20 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Arizona
Arizona State Legislature
Regular session convenes 13 January 2020 and adjourns 25 April 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Arkansas
Arkansas State Legislature
Regular session convenes 8 April 2020 and adjourns 7 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
California
California Legislative Information
Regular session convenes 6 January 2020 and adjourns 30 November 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Colorado
Colorado General Assembly
Regular session convenes 8 January 2020 and adjourns 7 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Connecticut
Connecticut General Assembly
Regular session convenes 5 February 2020 and adjourns 6 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Delaware
Delaware General Assembly
Regular session convenes 14 January 2020 and adjourns 30 June 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Florida
Florida Legislature
Regular session convenes 14 January 2020 and adjourns 13 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Georgia
Georgia General Assembly
Regular session convenes 13 January 2020 and adjourns 27 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Hawaii
Hawaii State Legislature
Regular session convenes 15 January 2020 and adjourns 7 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Idaho
Idaho Legislature
Regular session convenes 6 January 2020 and adjourns 27 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Illinois
Illinois General Assembly
Regular session convenes 8 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Indiana
Indiana General Assembly
Regular session convenes 6 January 2020 and adjourns 13 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Iowa
Iowa Legislature
Regular session convenes 13 January 2020 and adjourns 21 April 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Kansas
Kansas Legislature
Regular session convenes 13 January 2020 and adjourns 3 April 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Kentucky
Kentucky General Assembly
Regular session convened 8 January 2019 and adjourns 29 March 2019.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Louisiana
Louisiana State Legislature
Regular session convenes 8 April 2019 and adjourns 6 June 2019.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Maine
Maine State Legislature
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourned 17 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Maryland
General Assembly of Maryland
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourned 17 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Massachusetts
General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Regular session convenes 1 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Michigan
Michigan Legislature
Regular session convenes 8 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Minnesota
Minnesota State Legislature
Regular session convened 11 February 2020 and adjourned 11 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Mississippi
Mississippi Legislature
Regular session convened 7 January 2020 and adjourns 5 October 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Missouri
Missouri General Assembly
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourns 17 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Montana
Montana Legislative Branch
No regular session in 2020.
Nebraska
Nebraska Legislature
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourned 13 August 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Nevada
Nevada Legislature
No regular session in 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire General Court
Regular session convened 2 January 2019 and adjourns in late June.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
New Jersey
New Jersey Legislature
Regular session convened 14 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
New Mexico
New Mexico Legislature
Regular session convened 21 January 2020 and adjourned 20 February 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
New York
New York State Assembly
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
North Carolina
North Carolina General Assembly
Regular session convened 28 April 2020 and adjourned 3 September 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
North Dakota
North Dakota Legislative Branch
No regular session in 2020.
Ohio
Ohio Legislature
Regular session convened 15 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Legislature
Regular session convened 3 February 2020 and adjournrf 29 May 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Oregon
Oregon State Legislature
Regular session convened 3 February 2020 and adjourns 8 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania General Assembly
Regular session convened 7 January 2020 and meets throughout the year.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Rhode Island
State of Rhode Island General Assembly
Regular session convened 7 January 2020.
S 2441/H 7641 would permit grand juries to issue reports and would provide for a process for review and acceptance by the superior court, with a sunset date of 1 July 2025.
[grand juries]
REFERRED TO SENATE JUDICIARY/REFERRED TO HOUSE JUDICIARY
S 2754 would require proof of a criminal conviction for an offense of state law felony subject to forfeiture as a condition of asset forfeiture in most cases.
[asset forfeiture, right to trial by jury]
REFERRED TO SENATE JUDICIARY
H 7326 would prohibit prosecutions for violations in this state if violation arises from same facts or acts for which defendant has been acquitted in another jurisdiction, unless there exists new evidence substantially warranting prosecution in Rhode Island.
[double jeopardy, separate sovereigns]
HOUSE JUDICIARY RECOMMENDED HELD FOR FURTHER STUDY
H 7894 would permit defense counsel in a criminal trial to argue for jury nullification.
[jury nullification]
REFERRED TO HOUSE JUDICIARY
South Carolina
South Carolina Legislature
Regular session convened 14 January 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
South Dakota
South Dakota Legislature
Regular session convened 14 January 2020 and adjourned 30 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Tennessee
Tennessee General Assembly
Regular session convened 14 January 2020 and adjourned 19 June 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Texas
Texas Legislature
No regular session in 2020.
Utah
Utah State Legislature
Regular session convened 27 January 2020 and adjourned 12 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Vermont
Vermont General Assembly
Regular session convened 7 January 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Virginia
Virginia General Assembly
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourned 12 March 2020.
HB 100/SB 325 would allow the court and counsel for either party in a criminal case to (i) ask potential jurors any relevant question to ascertain whether the juror can sit impartially in either the guilt or sentencing phase of the case and (ii) inform any potential juror as to the potential range of punishments to ascertain if the person or juror can sit impartially in the sentencing phase of the case.
[jury selection]
PASSED
SB 810 would require that the jury be given the applicable discretionary sentencing guidelines worksheets during a sentencing proceeding and that the court instruct the jury that the sentencing guidelines worksheets are discretionary and not binding on the jury.
[jury sentencing]
CONTINUED TO 2021
SB 811/HB 5084 would amend juries' participation in sentencing in criminal trials by providing that in a non-capital, criminal case the court shall ascertain the extent of the punishment, unless the accused has requested that the jury do so.
[jury sentencing]
CONTINUED TO 2021
Washington
Washington State Legislature
Regular session convened 13 January 2020 and adjourned 12 March 2020.
HB 2961 would exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury duty.
[jury selection]
REFERRED TO CIVIL RIGHTS & JUDICIARY
West Virginia
West Virginia Legislature
Regular session convened 8 January 2020 and adjourned 7 March 2020.
No key legislation has been identified yet this session.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Legislature
Regular session convened 14 January 2020 and adjourned 17 May 2020.
AB 559/SB 729 would eliminate the right to a jury trial in a termination of parental rights proceeding.
[right to trial by jury]
PASSED IN HOUSE, DID NOT PASS SENATE, LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED
AB1005 would codify jurors' right to conscientiously acquit even if the law has been proved beyond reasonable doubt to have been broken and require the court to instruct the jury of its duties orally and in writing, including providing a written copy of the full text of the statute that describes the duties of a jury.
[jury nullification]
DID NOT PASS, LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED
Wyoming
State of Wyoming Legislature
Regular session convened 10 February 2020 and adjourned 12 March 2020.
No key legislation was identified this session.
