This bill proposes to amend current statutes regarding the methods of execution for defendants sentenced to death. Under the new law, a defendant would have the option to choose between a firing squad, lethal gas, or lethal injection as the method of execution. The existing stipulation that only defendants sentenced for offenses committed before November 23, 1992, could choose between lethal injection and lethal gas would be removed. Additionally, if a defendant fails to select a method of execution, the penalty would default to lethal injection.

Furthermore, the bill includes a conditional enactment clause stating that it will only take effect if the Arizona Constitution is amended through the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1049 at the next general election. This ensures that the changes to the execution methods are contingent upon broader constitutional approval. The bill also makes technical and conforming changes to the existing statutes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 13-757
Senate Engrossed Version: 13-757