South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

H. 4615

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Pitts and Tallon
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gt\5410cm18.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 872

Introduced in the House on January 11, 2018
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Executions

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/11/2018  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 596)
   1/11/2018  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 596)
   1/16/2018  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Tallon

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/11/2018

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 24-3-530, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEATH BY ELECTROCUTION OR LETHAL INJECTION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON CONVICTED OF A CAPITAL CRIME AND HAVING IMPOSED UPON HIM THE SENTENCE OF DEATH SHALL SUFFER THE PENALTY BY ELECTROCUTION OR, AT THE ELECTION OF THE PERSON, LETHAL INJECTION, IF IT IS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF ELECTION, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PENALTY MUST BE ADMINISTERED BY ELECTROCUTION FOR A PERSON WHO WAIVES THE RIGHT OF ELECTION, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IF EXECUTION BY LETHAL INJECTION IS UNAVAILABLE OR IS HELD TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY AN APPELLATE COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION, THEN THE MANNER OF INFLICTING A DEATH SENTENCE MUST BE ELECTROCUTION REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD ELECTED BY THE PERSON.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 24-3-530 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-3-530.    (A)    A person convicted of a capital crime and having imposed upon him the sentence of death shall suffer the penalty by electrocution or, at the election of the person, lethal injection, if it is available at the time of election, under the direction of the Director of the Department of Corrections. The election for death by electrocution or lethal injection must be made in writing fourteen days before the execution date or it is waived. If the person waives the right of election, then the penalty must be administered by lethal injection electrocution.

(B)    A person convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death by electrocution prior to the effective date of this section must be administered death by electrocution unless the person elects death by lethal injection and it is available in writing fourteen days before the execution date.

(C)    If execution by lethal injection under this section is unavailable or is held to be unconstitutional by an appellate court of competent jurisdiction, then the manner of inflicting a death sentence must be by electrocution regardless of the method elected by the person."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 16, 2018 at 4:50 PM