AN ACT to allow persons seventy‑TWO and older requesting to be excused from jury duty to request aN exemption from jury service.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 9‑6.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 9‑6.1.  Requests to be excused.
Any person summoned as a juror who is 72 years or older and who wishes to be excused, deferred, or exempted may make the request without appearing in person by filing a signed statement of the ground of  the request with the chief district court judge of that district, or the district court judge or trial court administrator designated by  the chief district court judge pursuant to G.S. 9‑6(b), at anytime five days before the date upon which  the person is summoned to appear. A person may request either a temporary or permanent exemption under this section, and the judge or trial court administrator may accept or reject either in the exercise of discretion conferred by G.S. 9‑6(b), including the substitution of a temporary exemption for a requested permanent exemption. In the case of supplemental jurors summoned under G.S. 9‑11,  notice may be given when summoned. In case the chief district court judge, or the judge or trial court administrator designated by  the chief district court judge pursuant to G.S. 9‑6(b),  rejects the request for exemption, the prospective juror shall be immediately notified by the trial court administrator or the clerk of court by telephone, letter, or personally."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2005, and applies to persons summoned for jury service on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 27th day of June, 2005.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2005