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Death Penalty Legislation

EJUSA tracked all state legislation for repeal of the death penalty through 2012, as well as some other state legislation related to the death penalty, such as moratorium or death penalty reforms. Please note as of 2013, we are not tracking new legislation because our friends at the Death Penalty Information Center now have a legislation tracker on their website.

Take action on any death penalty bill by using our online tool to email your state legislator.

StateBill TypeYear
  • Alaska
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB9
    Policy: 
    Expansion
    Description: 

    Re-instates capital punishment (Alaska currently has no death penalty)

    Status: 
    Died with end of session
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Mike Chenault
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=26&bill=HB9
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 20, 2009: Introduced by Rep. Chenault and referred to the Judiciary and Finance Committees
    April 10, 2009: Referred to Finance Committee

  • Colorado
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB09-1274
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the death penalty in Colorado and uses the savings to fund the cold case unit in the Colorado bureau of investigation

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Paul Weissmann (D) and Sen. Morgan Carroll (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/Clics2009A/csl.nsf/MainBills?openFrameset
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb. 4, 2009: Introduced in House and assigned to Judiciary and Appropriations Committees
    Feb. 23, 2009: Public Hearing held
    Feb. 23, 2009: House Judiciary Committee votes 7-4 to pass bill
    April 3, 2009: Clears House Appropriations Committee
    April 21, 2009: Full House votes 33-32 to pass bill
    April 23, 2009: Introduced In Senate and assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs and Appropriations Committees.
    April 29, 2009: Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee votes 3-2 to pass the bill
    May 1, 2009: Senate Appropriations Committee votes 6-4 party-line to pass the bill
    May 5, 2009: Full Senate votes 17-18 to defeat the bill

  • Connecticut
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB5459
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the the death penalty and replaces it with life imprisonment without the possibility of release

    Status: 
    Introduced
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Gary A. Holder-Winfield (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=05459&which_year=2009&SUBMIT1.x=20&SUBMIT1.y=10&SUBMIT1=Normal
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 22, 2009: Introduced and referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary
    (re-introduced by judiciary Feb. 25, 2009 as HB6578 - see HB6578 for continuing bill history)

  • Connecticut
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB6578
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 
    Repeals the death penalty and replaces it with a penalty of life imprisonment without the possibility of release
    Status: 
    Vetoed by Governor
    Introduced By: 
    Judiciary Committee (Rep. Gary A. Holder-Winfield (D))
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/ACT/PA/2009PA-00107-R00HB-06578-PA.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    (bill originally introduced as HB5459 - see HB5459 for early bill history)
    Feb. 25, 2009: Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary
    Mar. 4, 2009: Judiciary Committee holds public hearing
    Mar. 31, 2009: Judiciary Committee votes 24-13 to pass the bill
    May 13, 2009: Full House votes 90-56 to pass the bill
    May 21, 2009: Full Senate votes 19-17 to pass the bill
    June 6, 2009: Vetoed by Governor Rell

  • Delaware
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB171
    Policy: 
    Moratorium
    Description: 

    Establishes a moratorium on executions in Delaware pending completion of the Cornell Law School Death Penalty Project’s study of the death penalty in Delaware and an opportunity for the Governor and the General Assembly to act upon its findings

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Melanie Marshall (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis145.nsf/vwLegislation/HB+171/$file/legis.html?open
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jun. 11, 2009: Stricken by Committee
    May 13, 2009: Introduced and assigned to House Judiciary Committee

  • Georgia
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SB175
    Policy: 
    Moratorium
    Description: 

    Establishes a moratorium on the death penalty

    Status: 
    Died with end of session
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. Vincent Fort (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/search/sb175.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb. 18, 2009: Introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

  • Illinois
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    HB262
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the death penalty

    Status: 
    Died with end of session
    Introduced By: 
    Karen A. Yarbrough (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/HB/09600HB0262lv.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 23, 2009 Introduced and referred to House Rules Committee

  • Illinois
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SR0260
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    May. 6, 2009: Filed with Secretary
    May. 28, 2009: Hearing held in State Government and Veteran Affairs
    Aug. 15, 2009: Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b)/Referred to Assignments

    Status: 
    Hearing Held
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. William Delgado (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=0260&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SR&...
  • Illinois
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SR0297
    Policy: 
    Study
    Description: 

    Directs Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to conduct study of costs of death penalty in Illinois and a parallel study of the costs of sentencing persons convicted of first degree murder to life imprisonment.

    Status: 
    Passed Senate, In House
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. Don Harmon (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=0297&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SR&...
    Bill History (Log): 

    May. 21, 2009: Filed with Secretary
    May. 28, 2009: Resolution Adopted

  • Indiana
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB1421
    Policy: 
    Moratorium
    Description: 

    Death penalty moratorium and fair sentencing study.

    Status: 
    Died with end of session
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Vernon G. Smith (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2009/IN/IN1421.1.html
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 13, 2009: Committee on Judiciary first time read and referral

  • Kansas
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SB208
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the death penalty

    Status: 
    Carried over to next year's session
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. Caroline McGinn (R)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-bills/searchBillNumber.do
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb. 5, 2009: Introduced and referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Feb. 26-27, 2009: Judiciary Committee holds hearings
    Mar. 5, 2009: Committee votes 6-5 to pass bill
    Mar. 15, 2009: In a non-recorded voice vote, Full Senate sent bill back to Judiciary Committee for further study

  • Kansas
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB2351
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    An act concerning abolition of the death penalty.

    Status: 
    Introduced
    Introduced By: 
    Committee on Appropriations
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2351.pdf
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb. 20, 2009: Introduced

  • Maryland
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SB279
    Policy: 
    Reform
    Description: 

    Restricts the death penalty only to cases in which there is biological or DNA evidence, a videotaped confession, or a video recording that conclusively links the defendant to the murder

    Status: 
    Signed by Governor
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. Lisa Gladden (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/sb/sb0279t.pdf
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 23, 2009: Introduced and referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Bill passes out of Senate Judiciary Committee
    Mar. 5, 2009: Full Senate votes 34-13 to pass bill
    Mar. 20, 2009: House Judiciary Committee Judiciary votes 14-7 to pass reform bill
    Mar. 23, 2009: Full House votes 87-52 to pass bill
    May 7, 2009: Bill signed by Governor

  • Maryland
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB316
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the death penalty

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    Del. Samual I. Rosenberg (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb0316f.pdf
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan. 29, 2009: Introduced and referred to Judiciary Committee
    Feb. 18, 2009: Public hearings held
    Feb. 27, 2009: Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-5 on the bill, amendment allowing a limited death penalty passed
    Mar. 4, 2009: Amended bill passed by Senate; Repeal rejected

  • Mississippi
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB145
    Policy: 
    Moratorium
    Description: 

    Establishes three year moratorium and study of the death penalty

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. John Mayo (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2009/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0145IN.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan 6, 2009: Introduced and referred to House Judiciary Committee
    Feb 3, 2003: Died In Committee

  • Missouri
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB484
    Policy: 
    Study
    Description: 

    Original bill established a two year moratorium on the death penalty while a study by special commisssion was conducted but the moratorium component was removed leaving only the study

    Status: 
    Passed One Chamber, Passed Committee
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. Bill Deeken (R)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/biltxt/intro/HB0484I.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan 28, 2009: Introduced
    Mar 5, 2009: Referred to House Committee on Public Safety
    Amended to remove moratorium component
    April 7, 2009: Public hearings
    April 21, 2009: Full House voted to pass 127-31
    Bill was ultimately not taken up as the corresponding Senate bill was never taken to vote (see history for SB321 )

  • Missouri
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SB321
    Policy: 
    Study
    Description: 

    Original bill established a two year moratorium on the death penalty while a study by special commisssion was conducted but the moratorium component was removed leaving only the study

    Status: 
    Died with end of session
    Introduced By: 
    Sen. Rita Days (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.senate.mo.gov/09info/BTS_Web/BillText.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=708464
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb 5, 2009: Introduced
    Feb 9, 2009: Referred to the Senate Progress and Development Committee
    Feb 18, 2009: Hearings conducted
    March 4, 2009: Committee voted unanimously to pass
    Sponsor withdrew bill without a Senate vote

  • Montana
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Senate
    Bill Number: 
    SB236
    Policy: 
    Repeal
    Description: 

    Repeals the death penalty

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    David Wansenried (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/SB0236.htm
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan 16, 2009: Introduced and referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
    Feb 4, 2009: Public hearing
    Feb 10, 2009: Committee votes 7-2 to pass the bill
    Feb 16, 2009: Full Senate votes 27-23 to pass the bill
    Feb 18, 2009, Referred to House Judiciary Committee
    Mar 25, 2009: Public hearing
    Mar 30, 2009: Committee votes 11-7 to table (defeat) bill

  • Nevada
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    Assembly
    Bill Number: 
    AB190
    Policy: 
    Moratorium
    Description: 

    Establishes a moratorium on the execution of sentences of death and provides for study of issues regarding the death penalty.

    Status: 
    Failed
    Introduced By: 
    Asm. Bernie Anderson(D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/75th2009/Bills/AB/AB190.pdf
    Bill History (Log): 

    Feb. 18, 2009: Introduced. Read first time and referred to Committee on Elections, Procedures, Ethics, and Constitutional Amendments
    April 14, 2009: Amendment no. 315 added, striking the part of the bill that would impose a moratorium on death sentences
    April 15, 2009: Committee votes 30-12 to approve the bill as amended
    April 16, 2009: Read first time in Senate and referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
    May 16, 2009: No further action allowed

  • New Hampshire
    Session: 
    2009
    Chamber: 
    House
    Bill Number: 
    HB145
    Policy: 
    Study
    Description: 

    Establishes a commission to study the death penalty

    Status: 
    Signed by Governor
    Introduced By: 
    Rep. James Splaine (D)
    Bill text available at: 
    http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HB0520.html
    Bill History (Log): 

    Jan 1, 2009: Introduced and referred to House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee
    Jan 28, 2009: Public Hearing
    March 25, 2009: Amended
    April 29, 2009: Referred to House Judiciary Committee
    May 14, 2009: Public hearing
    June 10, 2009: House votes to pass the bill (concurs with Senate)
    July 30, 2009: Signed by Governor

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