Bill > HB1630

This bill amends Arkansas state law to expand the list of predicate offenses for capital murder, first-degree murder, and manslaughter by adding certain controlled substance offenses. Specifically, the bill modifies existing statutes to include violations of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act involving the actual delivery of a controlled substance as potential underlying offenses that can elevate a killing to these more serious charges. The changes apply to situations where a person commits or attempts to commit a controlled substance delivery offense, and in the course of that offense or while fleeing from it, causes the death of another person under circumstances showing extreme indifference to human life. The bill replaces the term "felony" with "offense" in several sections and broadens the scope of circumstances under which these serious murder charges can be applied, potentially increasing criminal penalties for drug-related offenses that result in a fatality. These modifications aim to provide prosecutors with additional legal tools to charge individuals who cause deaths during controlled substance delivery activities.

Justice

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1630&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R