Oklahoma lawmakers are hoping to give jurors a pay raise for the first time in more than 20 years.
The state legislature approved House Bill 1024 last week, raising the pay for jury duty from $20 to $50 per day.
Federal courts already pay their jurors $50 a day for their service. This raise marks the first time in more than 20 years the state has raised pay for jurors.
This new law would tie Oklahoma with North Dakota for the highest juror pay in the nation. According to a report from the National Center for State Courts, the national jury pay average is $19.68.
HB 1024 states jurors will also be paid for their mileage to and from jury service. Wage replacement or supplements of up to $200 begin on the 11th day of jury duty, should the service extend to that point.
The state issues around 1,800 jury summonses each month to people randomly selected from a list of licensed drivers and people holding other forms of state identification.
Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, authored a separate bill (Senate Bill 713) this session that would have raised the pay to $30.
In a press release, Hicks wrote juror pay needed to be raised in order to better reimburse Oklahomans for their service.
“Serving as a juror is a civic duty we’re all called upon to do at some point, but it’s important that we ensure citizens are fairly compensated for their times,” Hicks wrote.
HB 1024, which included Hicks as an author, was passed by both the House and the Senate unanimously as part of the special session lawmakers are using to work on budget bills. It now awaits Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signature.
