This bill amends several provisions related to the execution of death sentences in Louisiana, specifically R.S. 15:567 and R.S. 15:570, while also repealing R.S. 15:569.1. Key changes include the requirement for the sheriff to serve the execution warrant upon the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and the specification that the execution date must be set between sixty to ninety days from the issuance of the warrant. Additionally, if a stay of execution is granted, the trial court is mandated to reset the execution date within thirty days of the stay's dissolution or the expiration of a reprieve, with the new date being set no less than thirty and no more than forty-five days from the order's issuance.

Further amendments include the replacement of the term "priest or minister of the gospel" with "spiritual advisor" for the presence of religious counsel during executions, and a change in the number of witnesses allowed, which will now be determined by the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The time frame for executions has also been adjusted to occur between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on the designated execution date. The bill is set to take effect upon the governor's signature or after the designated period for bills to become law without signature.

Statutes affected:
HB394 Original: 15:567(B), 15:570(A)(5)
HB394 Engrossed: 15:567(B), 15:570(A)(5)
HB394 Enrolled: 15:567(B), 15:570(A)(5)
HB394 Act : 15:567(B), 15:570(A)(5)