Several states have recently introduced legislation to abolish or limit the death penalty. Bills to end capital punishment have been introduced in at least eight states: Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, New Hampshire, Maryland, Washington, and Kansas. For some of these states, the high costs of the death penalty has been an important factor in the legislative debates. For example, Colorado’s bill to abolish the death penalty specifies that the money saved from not pursuing executions could be used for solving cold cases.
Other states, such as Virginia and Georgia, have proposed legislation that would expand the use of capital punishment.
(DPIC, Feb. 10, 2009). See Recent Legislative Activity and Costs.
Citation Guide
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). States Introduce Bills to Abolish Death Penalty. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-introduce-bills-to-abolish-death-penalty
- Death Penalty Information Center. “States Introduce Bills to Abolish Death Penalty.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-introduce-bills-to-abolish-death-penalty.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “States Introduce Bills to Abolish Death Penalty.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-introduce-bills-to-abolish-death-penalty. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.
