GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 1456
Second Edition Engrossed 6/9/98

Short Title:  Death by Administration of Lethal Drugs.   	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Justus; and Sexton.

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Referred to:  Judiciary I.

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May 25, 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ABOLISH EXECUTION BY LETHAL GAS AND TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON CONVICTED OF A CRIMINAL OFFENSE WHO IS SENTENCED TO DEATH SHALL BE EXECUTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF LETHAL DRUGS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 15-187 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15-187.  Death by administration of lethal drugs.
Death by electrocution under sentence of law and death by the administration of lethal gas under sentence of law are abolished.  Any person convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced to death shall be executed only by the administration of a lethal quantity of an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent."
Section 2.  G.S. 15-188 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15-188.  Manner and place of execution.
In accordance with G.S. 15-187, the mode of executing a death sentence must in every case be by administering to the convict or felon a lethal quantity of an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent until the convict or felon is dead; and when any person, convict or felon shall be sentenced by any court of the State having competent jurisdiction to be so executed, the punishment shall only be inflicted within a permanent death chamber which the superintendent of the State penitentiary is hereby authorized and directed to provide within the walls of the North Carolina penitentiary at Raleigh, North Carolina. The superintendent of the State penitentiary shall also cause to be provided, in conformity with this Article and approved by the Governor and Council of State, the necessary appliances for the infliction of the punishment of death and qualified personnel to set up and prepare the injection, administer the preinjections, insert the IV catheter and to perform other tasks required for this procedure in accordance with the requirements of this Article.”
Section 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to all executions after the effective date of this act.