Juror Compensation Effects on Diversity and Participation: An Evaluation of the AB 1981 Jury Pilot Program for the Judicial Council of California

In 2022, California enacted Assembly Bill 1981 (AB 1981), establishing a pilot program to increase juror compensation and reimbursements across seven superior courts. The pilot aimed to improve juror pay to help cover jury service expenses such as transportation, parking, meals, and childcare, and to replace lost income for jurors without paid time off. Adequate juror compensation is an important step toward ensuring a strong and effective jury system. The Judicial Council of California engaged the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to support and evaluate this initiative. However, the program was paused before being terminated when the California legislature reverted all unspent funds to help offset a budget shortfall, with Assembly Bill 136 formally ending the program in June 2025. This report presents findings from the limited data collected before the early termination.