Bill
Bill > HB99
PA HB99
PA HB99In 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
10/16/2025
10/16/2025
In Committee
10/16/2025
10/16/2025
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 eliminates the death penalty in Pennsylvania by removing all references to capital punishment from existing statutes related to sentencing for murder and related legal procedures. Specifically, the bill modifies several sections of Pennsylvania law to replace death sentences with mandatory life imprisonment for first-degree murder cases. The changes impact provisions related to sentencing procedures, postconviction DNA testing, and appeals processes that previously included death penalty considerations. Key modifications include removing language about death sentence hearings, eliminating automatic Supreme Court review of death sentences, and repealing statutes about issuing execution warrants. The bill will apply to defendants who have not yet been sentenced at the time the law takes effect, and it will become operative 60 days after its passage. Notably, the bill preserves existing provisions about aggravating and mitigating circumstances in murder cases, just removing the option of capital punishment as a potential sentence. This legislative change effectively abolishes the death penalty in Pennsylvania, replacing it with life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for first-degree murder.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (16)
Chris Rabb (D)*,
Heather Boyd (D),
Danilo Burgos (D),
Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D),
Dan Frankel (D),
Liz Hanbidge (D),
Joe Hohenstein (D),
Kristine Howard (D),
Tarik Khan (D),
Emily Kinkead (D),
Rick Krajewski (D),
Danielle Otten (D),
Nikki Rivera (D),
Melissa Shusterman (D),
Arvind Venkat (D),
Ben Waxman (D),
Last Action
Referred to Judiciary (on 10/16/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb99 |
| BillText | https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/HB0099/PN2448 |
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