BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 93

                                                                                                                                          By: Riddle

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, certificates of death for those legally executed by the state classify the cause of death as homicide.  Some find it disrespectful to their murdered family and friends that the legal execution of the perpetrator should be classified the same on their certificate of death as the victim=s certificate of death.

Several states who impose the death penalty have already changed the certificates of death to state such things as AJudicial Execution,@ ADeath by Legal Execution,@ or AExecution by the State.@  The purpose of HB 93 is to change the terminology used on certificates of death only on death penalty executions from homicide, to death caused by judicial execution.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

Amends Section 193.005, Health and Safety Code by adding Subsection (j) which provides for a special classification of Adeath caused by judicial execution@ to the certificates of death for those legally executed by the state.

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.