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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the presence of a spiritual leader during the execution |
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of a person. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 43.20, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Art. 43.20. PRESENT AT EXECUTION. (a) The following |
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persons may be present at the execution: the executioner, and such |
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persons as may be necessary to assist the executioner [him] in |
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conducting the execution; the Texas Board of Criminal Justice |
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[Directors of the Department of Corrections], two physicians, |
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including the prison physician, the spiritual leader [advisor] of |
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the condemned person as provided by Subsection (b), the chaplains |
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of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice [Corrections], the |
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county judge and sheriff of the county in which the Texas Department |
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of Criminal Justice [Corrections] is situated, and any of the |
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relatives or friends of the condemned person that the person [he] |
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may request, not exceeding five in number, shall be admitted. No |
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convict shall be permitted by the prison authorities to witness the |
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execution. |
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(b) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall allow a |
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condemned person to choose a spiritual leader of the religion that |
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the person practices to be present at the execution, including in |
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the room during the person's execution. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |