HB436 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kyle South

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Criminal procedure, capital punishment, death penalty, attendance at executions, further provided, Sec. 15-18-83 am'd.

Summary

HB 436 expands who can attend Alabama executions by allowing non-immediate family members of the victim to attend, under specific limits, in addition to the current attendees.

What This Bill Does

It amends the death-penalty statute to list who may be present at an execution and adds that non-immediate family members of the victim may attend if allowed by the attendance cap. It allows the condemned person to request attendance by up to six relatives or friends. It maintains a limit on who can witness the execution and specifies how attendance is distributed between the victim’s immediate family and non-immediate family to reach up to eight attendees, with additional rules if fewer than eight immediate family members exist. The change takes effect immediately after the governor signs the bill.

Who It Affects

• Victims' families: can attend the execution up to eight people, with non-immediate family members eligible to fill the eight-seat limit if there are fewer than eight immediate family members.
• Condemned inmates and their relatives/friends: the inmate may request attendance by up to six relatives or friends.
• Media and prison officials: reporters admitted by the warden, the execution team, the Commissioner of Corrections or a representative, two physicians, a spiritual advisor, and the Holman Prison chaplain remain eligible attendees.
• Convicted inmates: still not allowed to witness the execution.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 15-18-83 to authorize non-immediate family members of the victim to attend an execution under the defined limits.
• Allows up to six relatives or friends of the condemned inmate to be present if requested by the inmate.
• Sets an attendance cap for the victim's side: up to eight attendees consisting of immediate family over 19, with non-immediate family able to fill the remaining slots to reach eight.
• If there are fewer than eight immediate or total attendees from the victim’s side, non-immediate family members may be added to reach eight total.
• If there are fewer than eight attendees under the defined rules, additional immediate family members of a victim (for whom the inmate is not sentenced to death) may attend.
• Maintains that convicts cannot witness the execution.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Criminal Law and Procedure