04/21/1993 01:45 PM Senate HES

 CHAIRMAN RIEGER introduced  CSHB 137(JUD)  (PAROLE OF TERMINALLY              
 ILL PRISONERS) as the next order of business.                                 
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER, prime sponsor of HB 137, said the                
 legislation is a byproduct of the Sentencing Commission's                     
 recommendation that an allowance for special medical parole                   
 for terminally ill patients be placed in statute.  This would                 
 allow the department and the parole board an additional tool                  
 whereby they could save dollars when evaluating people for                    
 parole who have not been eligible for parole in the past.                     
                                                                               
 SENATOR LEMAN asked if there was a definition for "terminally                 
 ill."  REPRESENTATIVE MULDER responded that it was left open                  
 because "terminally ill" varies so much and it is impossible                  
 to anticipate all the circumstances or occasions.  The parole                 
 board recommended leaving that definition in that form,                       
 knowing that they are going to very conservatively, if ever,                  
 use this.  It would be used only in those instances where the                 
 board felt that the person being paroled was not a danger to                  
 society, which is a requirement that was put into the bill.                   
                                                                               
 There being no further testimony on CSHB 137(JUD), CHAIRMAN                   
 RIEGER asked for the pleasure of the committee.                               
                                                                               
 SENATOR MILLER moved that CSHB 137(JUD), along with the                       
 accompanying fiscal notes, be passed out of committee with                    
 individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so                  
 ordered.