Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB56 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	SB56INTRODUCED
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3	3	SB56
4	4	SW9W785-1
5	5	By Senators Roberts, Singleton, Smitherman, Chambliss, Jones
6	6	RFD: Judiciary
7	7	First Read: 04-Feb-25
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12	12	5 SW9W785-1 01/29/2025 CNB (L)CMH 2024-2844
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14	14	First Read: 04-Feb-25
15	15	SYNOPSIS:
16	16	Under existing law, an inmate who meets certain
17	17	medical criteria may be considered for medical parole.
18	18	This bill would modify the requirements for an
19	19	inmate to be eligible for medical parole.
20	20	This bill would require the Board of Pardons and
21	21	Paroles to hold a medical parole hearing within 90 days
22	22	of an inmate becoming eligible for medical parole.
23	23	This bill would provide for appellate relief for
24	24	an inmate who is denied medical parole.
25	25	Under existing law, the Commissioner of the
26	26	Department of Corrections may grant medical furlough to
27	27	an inmate if he or she meets certain medical criteria.
28	28	This bill would modify the requirements for an
29	29	inmate to be eligible for medical furlough.
30	30	This bill would authorize an inmate released on
31	31	medical furlough to reside in any state.
32	32	This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
33	33	technical revisions to update the existing code
34	34	language to current style.
35	35	A BILL
36	36	TO BE ENTITLED
37	37	AN ACT
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65	65	28 SB56 INTRODUCED
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67	67	AN ACT
68	68	Relating to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the
69	69	Department of Corrections; to amend Sections 15-22-42 and
70	70	15-22-43, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for
71	71	eligibility requirements for medical parole; to require the
72	72	board to hold a medical parole hearing within a specified
73	73	period of time; to provide for appellate relief for an inmate
74	74	who was denied medical parole; to amend Sections 14-14-2,
75	75	14-14-3, 14-14-4, and 14-14-5, Code of Alabama 1975, to
76	76	further provide for the eligibility requirements for medical
77	77	furlough; to provide that an inmate released on medical
78	78	furlough may reside in any state; and to make nonsubstantive,
79	79	technical revision to update the existing code language to
80	80	current style.
81	81	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
82	82	Section 1. Sections 15-22-42 and 15-22-43, Code of
83	83	Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
84	84	"§15-22-42
85	85	For the purposes of this article, the following terms
86	86	shall have the following meanings:
87	87	(1) BOARD. The Board of Pardons and Paroles.
88	88	(2) GERIATRIC INMATE. A person 60 An inmate who: (i) is
89	89	65 years of age or older convicted in this state of a
90	90	non-capital felony offense and sentenced to the penitentiary,
91	91	who ; (ii) suffers from a chronic life-threatening infirmity,
92	92	life-threatening illness, or chronic debilitating disease
93	93	related to aging , who; (iii) requires assistance with a
94	94	necessary daily life function ; and (iv) poses a low risk to
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124	124	necessary daily life function ; and (iv) poses a low risk to
125	125	the community, and who does not constitute a danger to himself
126	126	or, herself, or society.
127	127	(3) NECESSARY DAILY LIFE FUNCTION. Eating, breathing,
128	128	toileting, walking, or bathing.
129	129	(4) PERMANENTLY INCAPACITATED INMATE. A stateAn inmate
130	130	who satisfies both of the following:a. Is : (i) is unable to
131	131	perform one and requires assistance with one or more necessary
132	132	daily life functions , or who is completely immobile .b. Has;
133	133	and (ii) has such limited physical or mental ability,
134	134	strength, or capacity that he or she poses an extremely low
135	135	risk of physical threat to others or to the community.
136	136	(5) TERMINALLY ILL INMATE. A state An inmate who: (i)
137	137	has an incurable condition caused by illness or disease which
138	138	that would, with reasonable medical judgment, produce death
139	139	within 12 months ,; and who (ii) does not constitute a danger
140	140	to himself or, herself, or society."
141	141	"§15-22-43
142	142	(a)(1) TheNotwithstanding any other law to the
143	143	contrary, the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall establish a
144	144	special medical parole docket and adopt the rules for
145	145	implementation pursuant to Section 15-22-24(e). For each
146	146	person considered for medical parole, the board shall
147	147	determine whether the person is a .
148	148	(b) The following inmates shall be eligible for medical
149	149	parole as long as he or she is at least 65 years of age and
150	150	has served a minimum of 25 years of his or her sentence: (i) a
151	151	geriatric inmate ,; (ii) a permanently incapacitated inmate ,
152	152	or; (iii) a terminally ill inmate for purposes of placing the
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182	182	or; (iii) a terminally ill inmate for purposes of placing the
183	183	person on a special medical parole docket to be considered for
184	184	parole by the board ; (iv) an inmate who has spent 30 or more
185	185	days in an infirmary in the prior calendar year; and (v) an
186	186	inmate who has received costly and frequent medical treatment
187	187	outside a Department of Corrections facility in the previous
188	188	12 months.
189	189	(c) An open public hearing shall be held, pursuant to
190	190	Section 15-22-23, to consider the medical parole of the
191	191	inmate. Notices of the hearing shall be sent pursuant to
192	192	Sections 15-22-23 and 15-22-36. The notice shall clearly state
193	193	the inmate is being considered for a medical parole.
194	194	(2) The (d)(1) By the first day of each month, the
195	195	Department of Corrections shall immediately provide, upon
196	196	request from to the board, a list of geriatric, permanently
197	197	incapacitated, and terminally ill inmates who are otherwise
198	198	eligible for parole, subject to the limitations provided under
199	199	Section 15-22-28(e) in the department's physical custody. The
200	200	determination of whether an inmate is geriatric, permanently
201	201	incapacitated, or terminally ill shall be made by a physician
202	202	employed by the department or its health care provider .
203	203	(2) By January 1 of each calendar year, the Department
204	204	of Corrections shall additionally identify provide to the
205	205	board a list of all inmates in the department's physical
206	206	custody who have spent more than 30 or more days in an
207	207	infirmary in the prior calendar year or received costly and
208	208	frequent medical treatment outside a Department of Corrections
209	209	facility in the previous 12 months , as well as all inmates
210	210	suffering from a life-threatening illness and whose death is
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240	240	suffering from a life-threatening illness and whose death is
241	241	imminent within 12 months, who are otherwise parole eligible,
242	242	subject to the limitations provided under Section 15-22-28(e),
243	243	and shall immediately provide this information to the board to
244	244	determine if identified inmates may be considered for a
245	245	medical parole.
246	246	(3) Upon a determination that the inmate is eligible
247	247	for a medical parole, the board shall place the inmate on the
248	248	next available special medical parole docket pursuant to rules
249	249	adopted by the board for the board to consider the individual
250	250	for medical parole. (e) Within 90 days of the board receiving
251	251	the list from the Department of Corrections, as required in
252	252	subsection (d), the board shall hold a medical parole hearing
253	253	if the board determines the inmate is eligible for medical
254	254	parole.
255	255	(b)(f) Medical parole consideration shall be in
256	256	addition to any other release for which an inmate may be
257	257	eligible.
258	258	(c)(g) In considering an inmate for medical parole, the
259	259	board may request that additional medical evidence be
260	260	produced, or that additional medical examinations be conducted
261	261	by the Department of Corrections.
262	262	(d)(h) In determining factors for a medical parole, the
263	263	board shall take into consideration all of the following:
264	264	(1) Risk for violence.
265	265	(2) Criminal history.
266	266	(3) Institutional behavior.
267	267	(4) Age of the inmate, currently and at the time of the
268	268	offense.
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298	298	offense.
299	299	(5) Severity of the illness, disease, or infirmities
300	300	and whether the same existed at the time of the offense.
301	301	(6) All available medical and mental health records.
302	302	(7) Reentry plans, which include alternatives to caring
303	303	for terminally ill or permanently incapacitated inmates in
304	304	traditional prison settings.
305	305	(e)(i) This article shall not apply to inmates
306	306	convicted of capital murder or a sex offense or sentenced to
307	307	life imprisonment without the possibility of parole .
308	308	(f) Unless provided otherwise in this article, any
309	309	medical parole under this article shall comply with Article 2,
310	310	Chapter 22, Title 15.
311	311	(j)(1) An inmate whose medical parole is denied shall
312	312	have the right to appeal the denial as provided in this
313	313	subsection.
314	314	(2) Within 42 days of the board denying an inmate
315	315	medical parole, the inmate, or an individual acting on the
316	316	inmate's behalf, may appeal the decision.
317	317	(3) The venue for the appeal shall be the circuit court
318	318	of the county of the inmate's last conviction.
319	319	(4) The petition shall be heard by the circuit judge
320	320	who presided over the trial of the last conviction or, if the
321	321	judge is no longer serving, by any of the circuit judges in
322	322	the circuit.
323	323	(5) Review by the court shall be de novo without a
324	324	jury.
325	325	(6) The decision by the court may be appealed pursuant
326	326	to the court of criminal appeals and is subject to the Rules
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356	356	to the court of criminal appeals and is subject to the Rules
357	357	of Appellate Procedure.
358	358	(g)(k)(1) The board shall annually report annually to
359	359	the Joint Legislative Interim Prison Oversight Committee,
360	360	House Judiciary Sentencing Commission Subcommittee, and the
361	361	Alabama Sentencing Commission on the all of the following:
362	362	a. The number of inmates eligible for medical paroles
363	363	granted, the parole.
364	364	b. The nature of the illnesses, diseases, and
365	365	conditions of those inmates paroled, the .
366	366	c. The number of inmates granted and denied medical
367	367	parole, and the .
368	368	d. The number of cases inmates granted medical parole ,
369	369	but that who could not be released.
370	370	e. The crimes for which the inmates have been convicted
371	371	shall also be provided in the annual report .
372	372	(2) The report shall be made in a manner that does not
373	373	disclose any individual identifying information for any
374	374	particular inmate and shall be compliant in all respects with
375	375	the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
376	376	(h)(l) This article shall not be deemed to grant any
377	377	entitlement or right to release."
378	378	Section 2. Sections 14-14-2, 14-14-3, 14-14-4, and
379	379	14-14-5, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
380	380	"§14-14-2
381	381	For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall
382	382	have the following meanings:
383	383	(1) COMMISSIONER. The Commissioner of the Department of
384	384	Corrections.
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414	414	Corrections.
415	415	(2) DEPARTMENT. The Department of Corrections.
416	416	(3) GERIATRIC INMATE. A person 55 An inmate who: (i) is
417	417	65 years of age or older convicted in this state of a
418	418	non-capital felony offense and sentenced to the penitentiary,
419	419	who ; (ii) suffers from a chronic life-threatening infirmity,
420	420	life-threatening illness, or chronic debilitating disease
421	421	related to aging , who ; (iii) poses a low risk to the
422	422	community, and who ; and (iv) does not constitute a danger to
423	423	himself or, herself, or society.
424	424	(4) PERMANENTLY INCAPACITATED INMATE. A state An inmate
425	425	who: (i) possesses a permanent, irreversible physical or
426	426	mental health condition that prevents him or her from being
427	427	able to perpetrate a violent physical action upon another
428	428	person or self or initiate or participate in a criminal act .
429	429	The medical or mental health treatment or need for assistance
430	430	of such individual must require ; (ii) requires daily
431	431	assistance from a caretaker or a long-term skilled medical or
432	432	rehabilitation center to perform or assist with activities of
433	433	daily living, such as ambulation, dressing, and bathing and/or
434	434	must require; (iii) requires medications or treatments, such
435	435	as hemodialysis, to sustain life which require regular
436	436	diagnostic tests to monitor therapeutic effectiveness .
437	437	Long-term; and (iv) requires long-term care and housing needs
438	438	of such individual with a physical or mental health condition
439	439	described above must have the potential to that exceed the
440	440	capabilities to provide such need within the confinement of a
441	441	of what the department has the ability to provide in a secure
442	442	correctional facility within the department.
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472	472	correctional facility within the department.
473	473	(5) TERMINALLY ILL INMATE. A person convicted of a
474	474	non-capital felony offense who is sentenced to the
475	475	penitentiary and An inmate who: (i) has an incurable condition
476	476	caused by illness or disease which that would, with reasonable
477	477	medical judgment, produce death within 12 months ,; and who
478	478	(ii) does not constitute a danger to himself or, herself, or
479	479	society."
480	480	"§14-14-3
481	481	(a) No physical or medical condition that existed at
482	482	the time of sentencing shall provide the basis for medical
483	483	furlough under this chapter, unless the inmate has become
484	484	permanently incapacitated or terminally ill after the date of
485	485	sentencing. In considering an inmate's eligibility for medical
486	486	furlough, the department shall take into consideration the age
487	487	of the inmate at the time the crime was committed.
488	488	(b) No inmate shall be considered for medical furlough
489	489	unless the inmate consents in writing to the release after a
490	490	written explanation of the inmate's medical needs and the
491	491	availability of medical services, unless the inmate is not
492	492	capable of consent as determined by a medical professional.
493	493	(c) NoAn inmate shall may not be considered for medical
494	494	furlough unless he or she would be Medicaid or Medicare
495	495	eligible at the time of release or if a member of the inmate's
496	496	family agrees in writing to assume financial responsibility
497	497	for the inmate, including, but not limited to, the medical
498	498	needs of the inmate."
499	499	"§14-14-4
500	500	(a) The department shall establish a medical furlough
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530	530	(a) The department shall establish a medical furlough
531	531	program. The commissioner shall adopt the rules and
532	532	regulations for implementation of the medical furlough
533	533	program. For each person considered for medical furlough, the
534	534	commissioner shall determine whether the person is a
535	535	(b) The following inmates shall be eligible for medical
536	536	furlough as long as he or she is at least 65 years of age and
537	537	has served a minimum of 25 years of his or her sentence: (i) a
538	538	geriatric inmate ,; (ii) a permanently incapacitated inmate ,
539	539	or; and (iii) a terminally ill inmate.
540	540	(b)(c) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,
541	541	an inmate who has not served his or her minimum sentence shall
542	542	be considered eligible for consideration for furlough under
543	543	this chapter.
544	544	(c)(d) This chapter shall not apply to inmates
545	545	convicted of capital murder or a sexual sex offense or an
546	546	inmate sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility
547	547	of parole.
548	548	(d)(e) Medical furlough consideration shall be in
549	549	addition to any other release for which an inmate may be
550	550	eligible.
551	551	(e)(f) The commissioner shall determine the conditions
552	552	of release of any inmate pursuant to this chapter, including
553	553	the appropriate level of supervision of the inmate, and shall
554	554	develop a discharge plan for each inmate released under this
555	555	chapter. Prior to the commissioner granting any release based
556	556	on the appropriate medical documentation pursuant to
557	557	subsection (b) of Section 14-14-5, employees of the department
558	558	shall contact appropriate departments and agencies, which may
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588	588	shall contact appropriate departments and agencies, which may
589	589	includeincluding, but shall not be limited to, the Department
590	590	of Public Health, the Department of Human Resources, Medicare,
591	591	Medicaid, hospice organizations, or other public and nonprofit
592	592	community service agencies as the commissioner may deem
593	593	necessary for consultation in developing an appropriate
594	594	discharge plan, and to confirm that required care and
595	595	resources are available to meet the inmate's needs. This
596	596	chapter is not intended to expand or create new
597	597	responsibilities for public agencies for arranging and
598	598	providing care.
599	599	(f)(g) In considering an inmate for medical furlough,
600	600	the department may request that additional medical evidence be
601	601	produced, or that additional medical examinations be
602	602	conducted.
603	603	(g)(h) Except as provided herein in subsection (i) , the
604	604	furlough of an inmate on medical furlough shall be for the
605	605	remainder of the inmate's sentence. In addition to terms and
606	606	conditions prescribed by the department, supervision of an
607	607	inmate on medical furlough shall at a minimum consist of
608	608	biannual medical evaluations by a medical care provider at
609	609	intervals to be determined by the commissioner at the time of
610	610	release.
611	611	(h) If the (i) The commissioner shall revoke an
612	612	inmate's medical furlough if any of the following occur:
613	613	(1) The medical condition of an inmate released
614	614	pursuant to this chapter should improve improves to the extent
615	615	that he or she no longer meets the criteria by which he or she
616	616	was released, or if he .
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646	646	was released, or if he .
647	647	(2) He or she violates a condition of release or.
648	648	(3) He or she becomes a danger to himself or, herself,
649	649	or others, the commissioner shall revoke the furlough .
650	650	(i)(j)(1) The commissioner shall annually report
651	651	annually to the Joint Legislative Interim Prison Oversight
652	652	Committee, House Judiciary Sentencing Commission Subcommittee,
653	653	and the Alabama Sentencing Commission on the all of the
654	654	following:
655	655	a. The number of applications for medical furlough,
656	656	including the nature of the illnesses, diseases, and
657	657	conditions of the applicants , the .
658	658	b. The number of inmates granted and denied release ,
659	659	and the .
660	660	c. The number of persons inmates on medical furlough
661	661	who have been returned to the custody of the department.
662	662	d. The commissioner shall further report on the status
663	663	of all inmates who meet the criteria for medical furlough as
664	664	defined in Section 14-14-214-14-4. This report shall include
665	665	those
666	666	e. Those individuals who have spent more than 30
667	667	calendar days within the prior 12 month 12-month time period
668	668	in an infirmary or under direct medical supervision for the
669	669	medical condition associated with the furlough request or its
670	670	comorbidities.
671	671	(2) The report shall be made in a manner that does not
672	672	disclose any individual identifying information for any
673	673	particular inmate and shall be compliant in all respects with
674	674	the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act."
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704	704	the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act."
705	705	"§14-14-5
706	706	(a) An inmate, or any concerned person, including, but
707	707	not limited to, the inmate's attorney, family, physician, or
708	708	an employee or official of the department , may initiate
709	709	consideration apply for medical furlough by submitting to the
710	710	department an initial a medical release furlough application
711	711	form along with supporting documentation as required by the
712	712	department. The department shall provide an inmate with a copy
713	713	of all supporting documentation upon a request. Supporting
714	714	documentation shall include all of the following:
715	715	(1) Information concerning the inmate's medical
716	716	history, prognosis, and age.
717	717	(2) Medical authorization form.
718	718	(3)(b)(1) The initial application form shall include
719	719	the A report of a physician or physicians employed by the
720	720	department or its health care provider and a stating the
721	721	physician is of the opinion the inmate is eligible for medical
722	722	furlough pursuant to Section 14-14-4(b).
723	723	(4) A notarized report of at least one other duly
724	724	licensed physician who is board certified in the field of
725	725	medicine for which the inmate is seeking a medical furlough
726	726	and, who is not an employee of the department . These reports
727	727	shall each be, stating the physician is of the opinion that
728	728	the inmate is either terminally ill, permanently
729	729	incapacitated, or that the inmate suffers from a chronic
730	730	infirmity, illness, or disease related to aging eligible for
731	731	medical furlough pursuant to Section 14-14-4(b) .
732	732	(2)(b) The commissioner shall provide the initial
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762	762	(2)(b) The commissioner shall provide the initial
763	763	medical furlough application form and medical authorization
764	764	forms to all department medical care providers , and.
765	765	Additionally, the forms shall be available at every
766	766	correctional facility for distribution to inmates.
767	767	(c) Consideration for medical furlough shall be
768	768	initiated by the submission of an a medical furlough
769	769	application form, along with supporting documentation, to the
770	770	commissioner from the department, the inmate, or the inmate's
771	771	representative, along with the department's supporting
772	772	documentation to the commissioner .
773	773	(d) If the appropriate medical documentation pursuant
774	774	to subsection (b)(a) has indicated that the inmate is
775	775	permanently incapacitated or terminally ill eligible for
776	776	medical furlough , the commissioner, within 60 30 days of
777	777	receipt of an initial a completed medical furlough application
778	778	form, shall make a decision regarding the release of the
779	779	inmate on medical furlough pursuant to the provisions of this
780	780	chapter. The initial application form and supporting document
781	781	of inmates, who have been diagnosed by a physician as
782	782	suffering from a chronic illness or disease related to aging,
783	783	shall be submitted to the commissioner within 60 days of
784	784	receipt of the application by the department. Supporting
785	785	documentation shall include information concerning the
786	786	inmate's medical history and prognosis, age, and institutional
787	787	behavior. At the inmate's request, the department shall also
788	788	provide a copy of all supporting documentation to the inmate.
789	789	(e) In determining eligibility factors for a medical
790	790	furlough, the commissioner shall take into consideration all
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820	820	furlough, the commissioner shall take into consideration all
821	821	of the following factors:
822	822	(1) Risk for violence.
823	823	(2) Criminal history.
824	824	(3) Institutional behavior.
825	825	(4) Age of the inmate, currently and at the time of the
826	826	offense.
827	827	(5) Severity of the illness, disease, or infirmities.
828	828	(6) All available medical and mental health records.
829	829	(7) Release plans, which include alternatives to caring
830	830	for terminally ill or permanently incapacitated inmates in
831	831	traditional prison settings.
832	832	(f)(1) If the commissioner determines that a geriatric
833	833	inmate, permanently incapacitated inmate, or terminally ill
834	834	inmate meets the requirements for release to medical furlough
835	835	pursuant to this chapter, the commissioner shall release the
836	836	inmate on medical furlough pursuant to the provisions of this
837	837	chapter within 90 75 days of receipt by the commissioner of
838	838	the initial completed medical furlough application form and
839	839	supporting documentation.
840	840	(2) An inmate released on medical furlough may reside
841	841	in this state or another state contiguous to this state.
842	842	(g) The commissioner shall have the authority to
843	843	revoke the inmate's furlough pursuant to subsection (h) of
844	844	Section 14-14-4(i).
845	845	(g)(h) At least 30 days prior to release of a geriatric
846	846	inmate, permanently incapacitated inmate, or terminally ill an
847	847	inmate under subsection (f), the commissioner shall provide
848	848	notification of the medical furlough release to the district
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878	878	notification of the medical furlough release to the district
879	879	attorney of the jurisdiction where the inmate was last
880	880	sentenced and shall also provide notification of the medical
881	881	furlough release to the victim, victim's representative, and
882	882	other interested individual via certified mail, return receipt
883	883	requested, or by using the automated victim notification
884	884	system as provided in Section 15-22-36 and Section
885	885	15-22-36.2."
886	886	Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
887	887	1, 2025.
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