Recent Legislative Activity

• HCR 2001 (1/16/2025)

Would abolish the death penalty

• Introduced January 16, 2025. Sponsored by: Patricia Contreras (D).
• Referred to House Judiciary on January 16, 2025.
• Referred to House Rules on January 16, 2025.

• HCR 2024 (1/29/2025)

Would replace lethal injection with firing squad as the execution method; would only allow defendants sentenced before November 23, 1992 to have the choice between firing squad and lethal gas.

• Introduced January 29, 2025. Sponsored by: Alexander Kolodin (R). Cosponsors: Laurin Hendrix (R) .
• Referred to House Rules on January 29, 2025.

• SB 430 (1/10/2025)

Would provide that certain persons who are licensed, registered or doing business in this state shall not manufacture, compound, sell, test, distribute, dispense or supply any drug or medical device for the purpose of executing the death penalty.

• Introduced January 10, 2025. Cosponsors: Saud Anwar (D) , Ceci Maher (D) , Josh Elliott (D) .

• SB 343 (1/9/2025)

Would restore the death penalty.

• Introduced January 9, 2025. Sponsored by: Rob Sampson (R).

• HB 35 (12/19/2024)

The first leg of a constitutional amendment to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty. 

• Introduced December 19, 2024. Sponsored by: Sean Lynn (D).

• HB 37 (1/22/2025)

Would make firing squad the state's primary method of execution, thus making lethal injection the secondary option.

• Introduced January 22, 2025. Sponsored by: Bruce Skaug (R).
• Referred to House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee on January 23, 2025.

• HB 1030 (1/8/2025)

Would abolish the death penalty and commute the death sentences of current prisoners to life without parole. Would also allow defendants in cases where the state is seeking life without parole to file a petition alleging intellectual disability; in instances where the defendant is found to have an intellectual disability, then the court would not be able to impose a sentence of life without parole.

• Introduced January 8, 2025. Sponsored by: Robert Morris (R). Cosponsors: Chris Judy (R) , Jake Teshka (R) , Mark Genda (R) .
• Referred to House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code on January 8, 2025.

• SB 60 (1/22/2025)

Prohibiting second and successive motions and ineffective counsel claims in habeas corpus actions and providing for direct appeal to the supreme court in habeas corpus appeals filed by inmates sentenced to death.

• Introduced January 22, 2025. Garrett Henson on behalf of Office of the Attorney General Kris Kobach (R)

• HB 209 (1/10/2025)

Would abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole for those currently sentenced to death. 

• Introduced January 10, 2025. Sponsored by: James Tipton.

• HB 199 (1/10/2025)

Would make rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual abuse in the first degree capital offenses when the victim is under 12 years old.

• Introduced January 10, 2025. Candy Masaroni (R), T.J. Roberts (R), Josh Calloway (R)

• HB1151 (1/20/2025)

Would modify the process of selecting execution method. Specifically would add the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety and the district attorney of the county in which the conviction occurred to the group of individuals (currently the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Institutions of the Mississippi Department of Corrections) responsible for voting on execution method. Would add cost considerations as a deciding factor. Whoever is present will vote and majority decision dictates execution method. If passed would be effective July 1, 2025.

• Introduced January 20, 2025. Sponsored by: Justin Keen (R).
• Referred to House Judiciary Committee on January 20, 2025.

• HB 1336 (1/20/2025)

Would make rape of a child under 12 years old that damages the child's sexual organs a death-elgible offense.

• Introduced January 20, 2025. Sponsored by: Jansen Owen (R).
• Referred to House Judiciary Committee on January 20, 2025.

• HB 994 (1/22/2025)

Would abolish the death penalty and resentence death-sentenced prisoners to terms of life imprisonment without parole.

• Introduced January 22, 2025. Sponsored by: Thomas Wick (D).

• HB 843 (1/10/2025)

Would abolish the death penalty and resentence death-sentenced prisoners to terms of life imprisonment without parole.

• Introduced January 10, 2025. Sponsored by: Ray Reed (D). Cosponsors: Marty Murray (D) , Mark Boyko (D) .

• HB118 (12/2/2024)

Would abolish the death penalty and resentence death-sentenced prisoners to terms of life imprisonment without parole.

• Introduced December 2, 2024. Sponsored by: Jim Murphy. Cosponsors: Kimberly Ann Collins (D) .

• SB 196 (1/8/2025)

Would make statutory rape in the first degree and sexual trafficking of a child in the first degree death-eligible crimes. If enacted, it would only apply to offenses committed on or after August 28, 2025.

• Introduced January 8, 2025. Sponsored by: Mike Moon.

• SB 465 (1/8/2025)

Would repeal the death penalty for murder in first degree.

• Introduced January 8, 2025. Sponsored by: Patty Lewis (D).

• HB 205 (1/15/2025)

Would revise the existing execution protocol to allow for an "intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity" that is "sufficient to cause death." The current protocol requires the "administration of a continuous intravenous injection a lethal quantity of an ultra-fast-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent."

• Introduced January 15, 2025. Shannon Maness (R), Kathy Love (R), Greg Overstreet (R), Tracy Sharp (R), Curtis Schomer (R), Eric Tilleman (R), Steve Gist (R), Caleb Hinkle (R), Jerry Schillinger (R), Jodee Etchart (R), Barry Usher (R), Jane Gillette (R), Terry Falk (R), Bill Mercer (R), Braxton Mitchell (R), Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R)
• Referred to House Judiciary Committee on January 15, 2025.
• Passed committee vote on January 23, 2025. 11 votes for, 9 votes against.

• LB432 (1/17/2025)

Would provide for execution by nitrogen hypoxia. 

• Introduced January 17, 2025. Sponsored by: Loren Lippincott.
• Referred to Judiciary Committee on January 22, 2025.
• Committee Hearing on January 31, 2025. .

• LR15CA (1/15/2025)

A constitutional amendment to abolish the death penalty and commute those with death sentences to a sentence of life imprisonment.

• Introduced January 15, 2025. Sponsored by: Terrell McKinney (D).
• Referred to Judiciary Committee on January 17, 2025.

• HB 2694 (1/16/2025)

Would reinstate the death penalty for capital murder and rape, forcible sodomy, and object sexual penetration when the victim is a child younger than the age of 13 and the offender was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense and is not intellectually disabled.

• Introduced January 16, 2025. Sponsored by: Timothy Griffin (R).
• Referred to House Committee for Courts of Justice on January 16, 2025.

• HB49 (2/4/2025)

Would require any person age 18 or older convicted of rape in the first degree or sodomy in the first degree of a victim less than age six to be sentenced to death or life without parole. If the person convicted is less than age 18 then they would be sentenced to either life without parole or life. 

• Introduced February 4, 2025. Sponsored by: Matt Simpson (R).

• HB1493 (1/26/2024)

Would allow the death penalty for murders committed in or on the grounds of a religious institution, public or private school, community college, college, university, child care facility, or a public place by someone at least 18 years of age.

• Introduced January 26, 2024. Sponsored by: La Shawn Ford (D).
• Referred to House Rules Committee on January 31, 2024.

• SB2151 (2/10/2023)
• SB2145 (2/9/2023)
• SB2114 (2/9/2023)
• SB1596 (2/8/2023)

Would reinstate the death penalty.

• SB2151 Introduced February 10, 2023. Chaplin Rose (R)
• SB2145 introduced February 9, 2023. Sen. Andrew Chesney (R)
• SB2114 introduced February 9, 2023. Sen. Neil Anderson (R)
• SB1596 introduced February 8, 2023. Sen. Jason Plummer (R)

• HB3495 (2/17/2023)

Would reinstate the death penalty for first degree murder of a peace officer.

• Introduced February 17, 2023. Sponsored by: Dave Severin (R).
• Referred to House Criminal Administration and Enforcement Subcommittee on March 7, 2023.
• Referred to House Rules Committee on March 10, 2023.
• Referred to House Judiciary Committee on February 28, 2024.
• Referred to House Rules Committee on April 5, 2024. re-referred

• SB 2585 (5/19/2023)

Would reinstate the death penalty and related procedures for the killing of a police officer in the course of official duties.

• Introduced May 19, 2023. Sponsored by: Mike Porfirio (D).
• Referred to Senate Assignments Committee on May 19, 2023.

• SB 1493 (1/26/2023)

Would reinstate the death penalty for the killing of a person in or on the grounds of a religious institution, public or private school, community college, college, university, child care facility, or a public place. Reestablishes related capital procedures.

• Introduced January 26, 2023. Sponsored by: La Shawn K. Ford (D).
• Referred to Senate Rules Committee on January 31, 2023.

• SB 3540 (2/9/2024)

Would reinstate the death penalty as punishment for the murder of a peace officer or correction facility employee killed while performing their duties and reestablishes capital punishment processes.

• Introduced February 9, 2024. Sponsored by: Jason Plummer (R).
• Referred to Senate Assignments on February 9, 2024.

• HB 3762 (2/17/2023)

Updates existing criminal codes to remove mentions related to capital punishment.

• Introduced February 17, 2023. Sponsored by: Will Guzzardi (D).
• Referred to House Judiciary Committee on February 28, 2023.
• Passed House on March 24, 2023. 66 votes for, 36 votes against.
• Introduced March 27, 2023. Senator Rachel Ventura (D) and Senator Willie Preston (D)
• Passed Senate on May 4, 2023. 37 votes for, 19 votes against.
• Signed by JB Pritzker (D) on June 9, 2023.
• Final passage June 9, 2023. Became effective on January 1, 2024.

• SB 3198 (2/6/2024)

Would establish the Capital Crimes Litigation Act of 2024, which would reinstate the death penalty for first-degree murder of a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical personnel, or correctional facility employee killed while performing official duties and accordingly establish legal processes for capital representation and appeals.

• Introduced February 6, 2024. Sponsored by: Neil Anderson (R).
• Referred to Senate Committee on Assignments on February 6, 2024.

• HB 4336 (1/3/2024)

Would eliminate a provision abolishing the death penalty, modify aggravating factors, and transfer remaining funds from the Death Penalty Abolition Fund to reestablish a Capital Litigation Trust Fund.

• Introduced January 3, 2024. Sponsored by: John Cabello (R).
• Referred to House Rules Committee on January 16, 2024.

• A00854 (1/11/2023)
• S01922 (1/17/2023)

Requires that all felony offenders shall be eligible for parole after serving no more than twenty-five years of their sentence; eliminates the possibility of serving consecutive terms of imprisonment which exceed a twenty-five year sentence. 

• A00854 Introduced January 11, 2023. Sponsored by: Robert Carroll (D).
• S01922 introduced January 17, 2023. Sponsored by: Luis Sepulveda (D).
• A00854 Referred to Codes on January 3, 2024.

• S01271 (1/11/2023)
• A03906 (2/8/2023)

Relates to commission of murder in the first degree; provides that sentence for commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree is death or life without parole. 

• S01271 Introduced January 11, 2023. Sponsored by: Robert G. Ortt (R).
• A03906 introduced February 8, 2023.
• S01271 Referred to Codes on January 3, 2024.

• A03481 (2/3/2023)

Provides that sentence for commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree is death or life without parole. 

• Introduced February 3, 2023. Sponsored by: Joe DeStefano (R).
• Referred to House Codes on January 3, 2024.

• A06399 (4/6/2023)

Provides that the sentence for committing murder in the first degree when the victim is a police officer, peace officer or correction officer shall be either death or life imprisonment without parole

• Introduced April 6, 2023. Sponsored by: Alec Brook-Krasny (R). Cosponsors: Lester Chang (R) .
• Referred to House Codes on April 6, 2023. Held for consideration in codes on May 23, 2023.
• Referred to House Codes. on January 3, 2024.

• A02193 (1/23/2023)
• S01830 (1/17/2023)

Relates to consideration of the death penalty for the commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree. 

• A02193 Introduced January 23, 2023. Sponsored by: Marianne Buttenschon (D).
• S01830 introduced January 17, 2023. Sponsored by: Joseph Griffo (R).
• A02193 Referred to House Codes on January 23, 2023.

• A02111 (1/23/2023)
• S04908 (2/17/2023)

Ends the imposition of a sentence of life without parole and the death penalty.

• A02111 Introduced January 23, 2023. Sponsored by: Robert Carroll (D).
• S04908 introduced February 17, 2023. Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda (D) and Julia Salazar (D)
• A02111 Referred to House Codes on January 23, 2023.
• A02111 Referred to House Codes again on January 3, 2024.