Non-citizen immigrants lawfully residing in California would be eligible for jury duty under a bill that cleared the Assembly on Thursday.

Current state law allows only United States citizens to serve on juries. However, the state Constitution does not restrict immigrants residing legally in California from being summoned. Assembly Bill 1401 would no longer exclude “lawfully present immigrants” from jury lists drawn in part by the Department of Motor Vehicles records. The bill was written by seven Democrats on the Assembly Judiciary Committee, including the chairman, Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont.

“You are not required to be a citizen to participate in the judicial process as a party, as a witness, to work for the courts or even be a judge,” said another author, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville. “It’s only a requirement to be a juror. It’s not a requirement to be a citizen to serve in the military, either.”