JEFFERSON CITY • Older residents of Missouri could be excused from jury duty under legislation passed by the state Senate.

The bill approved Thursday would allow anyone age 75 or older to ask a court to get out of jury duty. The legislation, which now moves to the House, requires a judge to grant the request.

The exemption would be added to a list of a half-dozen other categories of people who can be excused from jury duty. Those include nursing mothers, health care providers and people for whom jury duty would impose an extreme physical or financial hardship.