CDCR Announces Public Comment Period for Lethal Injection Regulations

Nov 9, 2015 | External Affairs

In order to comply with California’s capital punishment laws, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has developed lethal injection regulations.

CDCR’s submission of its lethal injection regulations are part of the rulemaking process pursuant to the state’s Administrative Procedure Act, and pursuant to the stipulation in Winchell and Alexander v. Beard. CDCR submitted on October 27, 2015, its notice of proposed adoption of lethal injection regulations for publication in the Office of Administrative Law’s California Regulatory Notice Register. The OAL published it in its register on November 6, 2015.


Any member of the public, including inmates, may participate in the adoption of state regulations to ensure that regulations are clear, necessary and legally valid. The rulemaking process mandates a minimum 45-day initial public comment period. CDCR established a 75-day public comment period that is open until 5 p.m. on January 22, 2016.

Members of the public may review the rulemaking file by visiting the following link:
Proposed Lethal Injection Regulations. The public may also review and/or copy desired regulation documents in person at the following location:

CDCR Headquarters
1515 S Street
Room 105-North
Sacramento, CA 95811

Public access is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding state holidays.

Any person, including inmates, may submit public comments about the proposed regulations:

By mail:
Regulation and Policy Management Branch
P.O. Box 942883
Sacramento, CA 94283-001

Members of the public can also submit public comments by email or fax:

By fax: (916) 324-6075

A public hearing is scheduled for Friday, January 22, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Department of Health Services Auditorium, East End Complex, 1500 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95814.

For additional information, please contact Timothy M. Lockwood, Chief, Regulation and Policy Management Branch at (916) 445-2269 or back-up contact, Joshua Jugum at
(916) 445-2228.

You may also contact Albert Rivas, Deputy Chief, Office of External Affairs at (916) 445-4950 or by email at Cal_Externalaffairs@cdcr.ca.gov