House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes revisions to the laws governing the death penalty in Montana. The bill amends Section 46-19-103 of the Montana Code Annotated to specify that the punishment of death must be carried out through the administration of an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death. This replaces the previous requirement for a continuous injection of an ultra-fast-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent.

Additionally, the bill outlines the procedures for setting execution dates, the responsibilities of the warden of the Montana state prison, and the protocols for witness observation during executions. It maintains the anonymity of the executioner and allows for a limited number of witnesses from various groups, while also providing the department of corrections the authority to reject witnesses based on safety or disruption concerns. The bill aims to clarify and modernize the execution process in Montana while ensuring the legal framework surrounding the death penalty is consistent and clear.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 46-19-103
HB0205_1(1): 46-19-103
HB0205_1(2): 46-19-103
HB0205_1(3): 46-19-103
HB0205_1(4): 46-19-103
HB0205_1: 46-19-103