SB272 Summary

• Amends execution methods in Alabama law to add nitrogen hypoxia as an option for capital punishment alongside lethal injection and electrocution.

• Allows death row inmates to affirmatively elect execution by nitrogen hypoxia within 30 days after the Alabama Supreme Court affirms their death sentence, with an additional 48-hour election window if an execution warrant is pending.

• Makes nitrogen hypoxia the default execution method if lethal injection becomes unavailable or is declared unconstitutional, with fallback to any constitutional method at the Commissioner of Corrections' discretion if all methods are invalidated.

• Establishes that persons designated by the Department of Corrections to participate in executions are exempt from criminal liability for necessary actions, and permits authorized medical professionals to prescribe and prepare lethal injection drugs without constituting the practice of medicine.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.