Bill
Bill > HB888
PA HB888
PA HB888In authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and murder of law enforcement officer; in arson, criminal mischief and other property destruction, further providing for the offense of arson and related offenses; in jurisdiction of appellate courts, further providing for direct appeals from courts of common pleas; in post-trial matters, further providing for postconviction DNA testing and for disposition and appeal; in sentencing, further
summary
Introduced
03/17/2025
03/17/2025
In Committee
03/17/2025
03/17/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and murder of law enforcement officer; in arson, criminal mischief and other property destruction, further providing for the offense of arson and related offenses; in jurisdiction of appellate courts, further providing for direct appeals from courts of common pleas; in post-trial matters, further providing for postconviction DNA testing and for disposition and appeal; in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree; and, in execution procedure and method, repealing provisions relating to issuance of warrant.
AI Summary
This bill proposes significant changes to Pennsylvania's criminal sentencing laws, primarily focusing on eliminating the death penalty and modifying sentencing procedures for murder cases. Specifically, the bill removes references to capital punishment from several sections of state law, mandating that first-degree murder convictions will now result in mandatory life imprisonment instead of potentially receiving the death penalty. The legislation eliminates previous provisions related to capital sentencing hearings, jury instructions for death penalty considerations, and the automatic review process for death sentences. Additionally, the bill removes provisions about the Governor's role in issuing execution warrants and streamlines postconviction DNA testing requirements by eliminating specific references to capital cases. The changes apply to defendants who have not yet been sentenced at the time the law takes effect, and the bill will become active 60 days after its passage. These modifications represent a significant shift in Pennsylvania's approach to sentencing for the most serious criminal offenses, effectively abolishing the death penalty in the state.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (12)
Russ Diamond (R)*,
Joe D'Orsie (R),
Mary Jo Daley (D),
Nathan Davidson (D),
Dan Frankel (D),
Marla Gallo Brown (R),
Valerie Gaydos (R),
Liz Hanbidge (D),
John Inglis (D),
Tarik Khan (D),
Rick Krajewski (D),
Ben Waxman (D),
Last Action
Referred to Judiciary (on 03/17/2025)
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