| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1556 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the impaneling of a |
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| 6 | 6 | | new jury if a jury fails to recommend by unanimous vote a sentence |
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| 7 | 7 | | for conviction of a crime punishable by death. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | FEBRUARY25, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. B |
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| 11 | 11 | | RESNAHAN(for himself, Mr. THOMPSONof Pennsylvania, and Mr. |
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| 12 | 12 | | R |
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| 13 | 13 | | ESCHENTHALER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the |
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| 14 | 14 | | Committee on the Judiciary |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL |
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| 16 | 16 | | To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the |
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| 17 | 17 | | impaneling of a new jury if a jury fails to recommend |
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| 18 | 18 | | by unanimous vote a sentence for conviction of a crime |
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| 19 | 19 | | punishable by death. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 21 | 21 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 23 | 23 | | This Act may be cited as ‘‘Eric’s Law’’. 4 |
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| 24 | 24 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Mar 13, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1556.IH H1556 |
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| 25 | 25 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | •HR 1556 IH |
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| 27 | 27 | | SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO IMPANEL A NEW JURY IN CER-1 |
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| 28 | 28 | | TAIN CASES. 2 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (a) A |
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| 30 | 30 | | DDITIONALGROUND FORIMPANELINGJURY.— 3 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Section 3593(b)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is 4 |
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| 32 | 32 | | amended— 5 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 6 |
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| 34 | 34 | | the end; and 7 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) by adding at the end the following: 8 |
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| 36 | 36 | | ‘‘(E) a new special hearing is required pur-9 |
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| 37 | 37 | | suant to subsection (g); or’’. 10 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) I |
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| 39 | 39 | | MPANELING OF NEWJURYWHENJURYDOES 11 |
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| 40 | 40 | | N |
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| 41 | 41 | | OTREACH AUNANIMOUSRECOMMENDATION .—Section 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 3593 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by add-13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | ing at the end the following: 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | ‘‘(g) S |
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| 45 | 45 | | PECIALRULEWHENJURYDOESNOTRE-15 |
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| 46 | 46 | | TURN AUNANIMOUSRECOMMENDATION .— 16 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ‘‘(1) I |
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| 48 | 48 | | N GENERAL.—If a jury described in sub-17 |
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| 49 | 49 | | section (b)(1) or subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 18 |
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| 50 | 50 | | subsection (b)(2) does not, by unanimous vote, make 19 |
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| 51 | 51 | | a recommendation whether the defendant should be 20 |
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| 52 | 52 | | sentenced to death, to life imprisonment without 21 |
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| 53 | 53 | | possibility of release, or some other lesser sentence 22 |
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| 54 | 54 | | pursuant to subsection (e), the court, upon motion 23 |
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| 55 | 55 | | of the attorney for the government, shall order a 24 |
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| 56 | 56 | | new special hearing and impanel a new jury pursu-25 |
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| 57 | 57 | | ant to subsection (b). 26 |
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| 58 | 58 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Mar 13, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1556.IH H1556 |
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| 59 | 59 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
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| 60 | 60 | | •HR 1556 IH |
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| 61 | 61 | | ‘‘(2) IMPOSITION OF SENTENCE .—If the jury 1 |
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| 62 | 62 | | impaneled pursuant to paragraph (1) does not reach 2 |
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| 63 | 63 | | a unanimous recommendation as to sentence, the 3 |
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| 64 | 64 | | court shall impose a sentence other than death au-4 |
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| 65 | 65 | | thorized by law.’’. 5 |
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| 66 | 66 | | Æ |
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| 67 | 67 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Mar 13, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1556.IH H1556 |
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| 68 | 68 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS |
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