Facts & Research
Recent Legislative Activity
State legislatures and U.S. Congress frequently consider bills addressing death-penalty issues, including legislation to repeal capital punishment, reform it, or expand it.
Below are important pieces of death penalty legislation that have recently passed or are currently being considered. (DPIC welcomes additions and suggestions.)
(Left: A board displays the vote totals in the Kentucky Senate on HB 269, a bill to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty against individuals with a documented history of serious mental illness. One late vote was added to the tally displayed on the vote board. The 25-9 vote on March 25, 2022 completed legislative approval of the measure, which was forwarded to the governor for final action.)
2022 - Proposed legislation
States with bills to abolish death penalty indicated with *
Session dates via StateScape
State names link to state legislative homepage
| ALABAMA (Session dates: 03/07/2023 - 06/14/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| ARIZONA* (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 04/30/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HCR2023 | Proposed amendment to the constitution of Arizona to prohibit the death penalty | Introduced in the House in January 2023 by Rep. Patricia Contreras (D), along with 11 Democratic cosponsors. |
| ARKANSAS (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 03/15/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| CALIFORNIA (Session dates: 12/05/2022 - 11/30/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| DELAWARE* (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 06/30/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 70 | Would eliminate the death penalty and resentence those convicted of first-degree murder committed after 18 years of age to life without parole. | Introduced by Rep. Sean Lynn and assigned to Judiciary Committee on January 25, 2023. Co-sponsored by Sen. Hoffner (D), Sen. McBride (D), Rep. Baumbach (D), and Rep Neal (D). Additional sponsors include Sen. Gay (D) and Rep. Morrison (D). |
| FLORIDA (Session dates: 03/07/2023 - 05/05/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 555/SB 450 | Would only require eight out of 12 jurors to agree to a death sentence for it to be imposed. | Prefiled by Rep. Blaise Ingoglia (R) on January 30, 2023, and prefiled by Sen. Berny Jacques (R) on January 31, 2023. |
| GEORGIA (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 04/02/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| IDAHO (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 03/31/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| ILLINOIS (Session dates: 01/13/2021 - 01/11/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| INDIANA (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 03/07/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| IOWA (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 05/22/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| SF14 | Would establish the death penalty for murder in first degree offenses involving kidnapping and sexual abuse offenses against the same victim who is a minor. | Introduced by Sen. Brad Zaun (R) and referred to Judiciary on January 9, 2023. |
| KANSAS (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 05/21/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| KENTUCKY* (Session dates: 01/03/2023 - 03/30/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| SB45 | Would abolish the death penalty; those presently sentenced to death would receive life without parole; and would prohibit life without parole for juvenile offenders convicted of capital offenses. | Sponsored by Sen. Stephen Meredith (R), Sen. Gerald A. Neal (D), and Julie Raque Adams (D) and introduced on January 5, 2023. |
| HB104 | Would include abuse of a corpse by deviate sexual intercourse, sexual intercourse, or sexual contact as an aggravating circumstance. | Introduced on January 5, 2023 by Rep. Samara Heavrin (R). |
| LOUISIANA (Session dates: 04/10/2023 - 06/08/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| MISSISSIPPI (Session dates: 01/03/2023 - 04/04/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB103 | Would remove firing squad as an execution method. | Sponsored by Rep. Zakiya Summers (D) and referred to Judiciary on January 4, 2023. |
| MISSOURI* (Session dates: 01/04/2023 - 05/30/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 609/HB 839/HB 961 | Would abolish the death penalty and specify that any person sentenced to death must be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. | HB 609 introduced by Rep. Sarah Unsicker (D) on January 4, 2023 and read a second time on January 5. HB 839 introduced by Rep. Patty Lewis (D) on January 18. HB 961 introduced by Rep. Tony Lovasco (R) on January 25. |
| MONTANA (Session dates: 01/02/2023 - 04/25/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| NEBRASKA* (Session dates: 01/04/2023 - 04/18/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| LR 17CA | Proposes a constitutional amendment that would abolish the death penalty and resentence death-row prisoners to life | Introduced January 11, 2023 by Sen. Terrell McKinney (D) |
| NEW YORK (Session dates: 01/04/2023 - 01/02/2025) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| SO1271 | 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. | Introduced by Sen. Robert G. Ortt (R) and referred to codes on January 11, 2023. |
| A00854/S01922 | 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 sponsored by Assembly Member Robert Carroll (D), along with 5 other Democrats, and referred to codes on January 11, 2023. S01922 Introduced by Sen. Luis Sepulveda (D) and referred to codes on January 17, 2023 |
| NORTH CAROLINA (Session dates: 1/11/2023 - 06/30/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| OHIO (Session dates: 01/02/2023 - 12/31/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| OKLAHOMA (Session dates: 02/06/2023 - 05/25/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| PENNSYLVANIA (Session dates: 01/03/2023 - 11/30/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| SOUTH CAROLINA* (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 06/30/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| S 71 | Would abolish the death penalty and all laws related to death-penalty procedure | Prefiled by Sen. Gerald Malloy (D) and referred to Committee on Judiciary, November 30, 2022 |
| S 120 | Would conceal the identities of members of the execution team, including suppliers of lethal-injection drugs | Prefiled by Sen. Greg Hembree (R) and referred to Committee on Corrections and Penology on November 30, 2022. Introduced in committee on January 10, 2023. |
| SOUTH DAKOTA (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 03/27/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| TENNESSEE (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 04/26/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 0289 | Would require a sentence of death to be carried out within 30 business days of the conclusion of any appeals or post-conviction relief, if the jury unanimously determines that certain circumstances are met | Introduced on January 20, 2023 by Rep. Lowell Russell (R) |
| TEXAS* (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 05/29/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 918/HB 142 | Would abolish the death penalty | HB 918 filed December 8, 2022 by Rep. Harold V. Dutton, Jr. (D). HB 142 filed November 14, 2022 by Rep. Joe Moody (D) |
| HB 727 | Would prohibit the death penalty for defendants with severe mental illness | Filed November 16, 2022 by Rep. Toni Rose (D) |
| HB 381 | Would change the procedure for determining intellectual disability in capital cases, and align the state’s definition of intellectual disability with clinical standards | Filed November 14, 2022 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D) |
| HB 314 | Would prohibit the death penalty in cases that rely solely on the testimony of a single eyewitness | Filed November 14, 2022 by Rep. Steve Toth (R) |
| HB 180 | Would require a court to withdraw an execution date if requested by the prosecutor | Filed November 14, 2022 by Rep. Joe Moody (D) |
| UTAH (Session dates: 01/17/2023 - 03/03/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| VIRGINIA (Session dates: 01/11/2023 - 02/11/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| WASHINGTON (Session dates: 01/09/2023 - 03/08/2024) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| SB 5149 | Would reinstate the death penalty for prisoners who commit murder. The Washington Supreme Court struck down the state’s death penalty in 2018. | Prefiled on January 4, 2023 by Sen. Keith Wagoner (R), Sen. Jim McCune (R), and Sen. Kevin Van de Wege (D), and referred to Law & Justice Committee on January 9, 2023. |
| WEST VIRGINIA (Session dates: 01/11/2023 - 03/11/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| HB 2555 | Would reinstate the death penalty for some first-degree murder cases | Introduced by Rep. Geoff Foster (R) to House Judiciary on January 13, 2023. Co-sponsored by Rep. Brandon Steele and Rep. William Ridenour (R). |
| WYOMING (Session dates: 01/10/2023 - 03/10/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
| U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (Session dates: 01/03/2023 - 12/15/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bill number | Bill Description | Status |
Feb 05, 2021
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Idaho Expands Execution Secrecy After Senate Committee Reconsiders Failed Vote
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