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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Senate Bill 134 abolishes the death penalty, modifies juror challenges, and restricts public funding for lethal injection drugs
Last action · March 19, 2025: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Nickie Antonio and 10 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio Senate Bill 134 abolishes capital punishment across the state, replacing death sentences with life imprisonment terms, modifies juror challenge limits in life imprisonment cases, and prohibits public funds or public health plans from covering s for s, assisting suicide, or executions.
The measure alters sentencing laws for capital offenses by replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment alternatives, adjusts court procedures for jury selection in serious criminal trials, and places restrictions on the public financing of specific medical and correctional procedures involving s.
- Ohio's capital punishment framework has historically involved lethal injection as the primary method of execution, accompanied by extensive statutory provisions governing capital trials, appeals, and post-conviction relief. context
- The Ohio General Assembly regularly considers statutory adjustments to state sentencing guidelines, public defender funding, and public records administration under the Revised Code. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Individuals facing capital charges
Defendants previously subject to capital punishment are sentenced to life imprisonment or alternative terms instead of the death penalty under the revised statutes.
Public employees and elected officials
Public employee health insurance plans funded by the state or political subdivisions are restricted from providing coverage for nontherapeutic abortions and specific lethal injection uses unless individual rider provisions are purchased.
State and local public agencies
Public agencies are prohibited from expending public funds for policies, contracts, or plans covering nontherapeutic abortions, assisting suicide, or executing death sentences via lethal injection drugs.
Key Facts
- Abolishes the death penalty in the State of Ohio by repealing relevant statutory provisions and replacing death sentence options with life imprisonment.
- Prohibits state and local government funds from being expended directly or indirectly to pay costs, premiums, or charges for policies, contracts, or plans providing coverage for nontherapeutic abortions, assisting suicide, or executing death sentences through lethal injection drugs.
- Modifies the number of peremptory juror challenges permitted in criminal cases where a defendant may be subject to a sentence of life imprisonment.
- Amends numerous sections of the Revised Code spanning criminal law, sentencing, public defender funding, public records, and court jurisdiction to harmonize laws with the abolition of capital punishment.
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- Repeals specific sections of the Revised Code including sections 109.97, 120.35, 2725.19, and multiple sections governing death penalty procedures, review, and execution.
- Prohibits qualified health plans offered through state exchanges from providing coverage for nontherapeutic abortions and assisting suicide using lethal injection drugs.
- Specifies that state or local funds may not be used for payment or reimbursement for nontherapeutic abortion services, assisting suicide via lethal injection, or executing death sentences via lethal injection, subject to narrow exceptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Senate Bill 134 do regarding capital punishment in Ohio?
Are public funds permitted to be used for lethal injection drugs under the bill?
How does the bill affect juror challenges in criminal trials?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 19, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Mar 5, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Abolition of Capital Punishment
The bill systematically repeals dozens of sections across Title XXIX and related chapters of the Revised Code that previously governed death penalty procedures, appeals, and executions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance90How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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