JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Older Missouri residents soon will be able to get out of jury duty, if they so choose.

Legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Mike Parson will allow anyone age 75 or older to ask a court to be excused from jury duty. The judge will have to grant the request.

The exemption is being 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.

The new jury duty exemption will take effect Aug. 28.