The initiative would repeal the death penalty as maximum punishment for persons found guilty of murder and replace it with a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. And, importantly, it applies retroactively to persons already sentenced to death.

The initiative states that persons found guilty of murder and sentenced to life without possibility of parole must work while in prison as prescribed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It increases to 60 percent the portion of wages earned by persons sentenced to life without the possibility of parole that may be applied to any victim restitution fines. The Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government states that a net reduction in state and local government costs of potentially around $150 million annually ia expected within a few years due to the elimination of the death penalty.

In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed 365,880 valid petition signatures, which is equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2014 General Election. On June 30, 2016, the Secretary of State will certify the initiative as qualified for the November 8, 2016 General Election ballot, unless the proponent withdraws the initiative prior to that date.