Amends the jury list and jury qualification statutes to add individuals receiving public assistance benefits.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would change Rhode Island's rules about who is eligible to serve on a jury. Currently, the law draws from certain sources to build the list of potential jurors. This bill would add people who receive public assistance benefits — such as welfare, food assistance, or other government aid programs — to the pool of individuals who can be called for jury duty.

The main effect of this bill is to expand who can participate in the jury system. People who receive public assistance benefits would now be included in the jury selection process, meaning they could be summoned and potentially serve on a jury just like other eligible Rhode Island residents. This could make juries more representative of the broader community by including individuals from a wider range of economic backgrounds.

This bill would affect two groups of people: Rhode Islanders who receive public assistance benefits (who would now be eligible for jury duty), and the general public, who would benefit from having a more diverse and representative jury pool. Courts and jury administrators would also need to update how they compile their jury lists to include this new category of residents.

The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it is scheduled for a hearing. No final action has been taken yet.