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91_HR0327
LRB9106878RCmb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Illinois is one of a minority of states that
3 requires physician participation in executions by lethal
4 injection by mandating that the lethal injection be given
5 "until death is pronounced by a licensed physician according
6 to accepted standards of medical practice"; and
7 WHEREAS, A majority of the states which have enacted
8 death penalty statutes, including Texas and California, and
9 the federal guidelines adopted by the United States of
10 America do not require physician participation; and
11 WHEREAS, The State of Texas has implemented the death
12 penalty without physician participation and without adverse
13 legal rulings; and
14 WHEREAS, The physicians of Illinois and other health care
15 professionals have repeatedly expressed their belief that
16 physician participation in executions, as outlined in a
17 detailed policy statement, is unethical and unprofessional;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, The Attorney General of Illinois and the
20 Illinois Department of Corrections have stated that their
21 opposition to removing physician participation is the concern
22 of legal challenges to the death penalty statute; therefore
23 be it
24 RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
25 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
26 the Attorney General of Illinois and the Department of
27 Corrections individually investigate, review, and assess the
28 implementation of the death penalty in states that do not
29 require physician participation, such as Texas, and each
30 report to the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor no
31 later than January 15, 2000; and be it further
-2- LRB9106878RCmb
1 RESOLVED, That the Attorney General of Illinois and the
2 Department of Corrections, in their reports to the Illinois
3 General Assembly and the Governor, provide detailed,
4 substantiated reasons why the State of Illinois should or
5 should not adopt policies similar to those of states that do
6 not require a physician to participate in executions; and be
7 it further
8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 prepared and delivered to The Honorable George H. Ryan and
10 the Honorable Jim Ryan.