The bill amends sections 11-23-2 and 11-23-2.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-23, which pertains to homicide. It establishes that individuals convicted of murder will face penalties that include life imprisonment; however, it introduces a provision that prohibits the imposition of a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for individuals who are twenty-one years of age or younger. This change ensures that younger offenders have the opportunity for parole, regardless of the severity of their crime.

Additionally, the bill specifies that if a person under the age of eighteen is kidnapped and subsequently dies as a result of that kidnapping, the perpetrator will be charged with first-degree murder and face life imprisonment. Similar to the general murder provision, the bill includes the stipulation that no individual twenty-one years of age or younger can be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in this context. The act is set to take effect upon passage.