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Women in New York who are currently breastfeeding can now submit an application to exempt themselves from jury duty for up to two years under a new law approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo Monday.

The new law, which takes effect immediately starting Monday, allows women to postpone jury duty as long as they have a note from their doctor to verify that they're breastfeeding.

Cuomo, who's pushed various laws in recent years to benefit women and other individuals who choose to have children, said the responsibility of being a new parent should give those individuals a temporary pass for serving on a jury.

"While jury service is a critically important civic duty, we also know new moms oftentimes juggle countless responsibilities and navigate enormous adjustments in the early stages of their child's life," Cuomo said. "This commonsense measure takes that reality into account by providing new moms the flexibility and option to postpone jury service while they care for a newborn."

The legislation was sponsored by Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, D-Bronx, and State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, D-Brooklyn, who chairs the Committee on Children and Families in the State Senate.

"Nursing mothers have extraordinary commitments and this new law will remove one extra source of stress for them," Montgomery said. "I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this bill so we can provide some real relief to breast feeding moms by allowing them to postpone jury duty."

The measure adds two lines to the state Judiciary Law to make the change. According to the law, jury duty can be postponed up to two years for someone breastfeeding. 

An individual who seeks to postpone jury duty under the law also has to include a note from their physician with their postponement application to verify that they're breastfeeding at the time, according to the law.

Crespo, the bill's sponsor in the Assembly, has proposed the legislation for several years, but it didn't make it past the finish line until earlier this year. 

"The ability to postpone a nursing mother's jury duty will ensure that priority is placed first and foremost on the mother and the child's health while maintaining the opportunity to fulfill one's civic duty at a later time," Crespo said.

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