House DFLers introduced a bill on Monday that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in jury selection. The bill is identical to one passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

The bill (HF0335) was introduced by Reps. Steve Simon, DFL-Hopkins; Raymond Dehn, DFL-Minneapolis; Ron Erhardt, DFL-Edina; Peter Fischer, DFL-Maplewood; JoAnn Ward, DFL-Woodbury; and John Benson, DFL-Minnetonka.

The bill, if signed into law, would add “sexual orientation” and “marital status” to other characteristics that cannot be used to bar a juror from serving. Those include: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, economic status, or a physical or sensory disability.