The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 2521 Abolishes the Death Penalty and Replaces It with Life Imprisonment Without Parole
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsors: Ray Reed and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Representative Ray Reed introduced House Bill 2521 to abolish the death penalty in Missouri, replacing it with mandatory life imprisonment without eligibility for probation, parole, or release except by gubernatorial act for persons convicted of first-degree murder. The measure repeals numerous existing statutes governing execution procedures, trial jury sentencing phases in capital cases, and supreme court death sentence reviews.
Eliminates capital punishment as a sentencing option in Missouri courts, requiring that all future first-degree murder convictions result in life imprisonment without parole and altering procedures for of offenses and jury waivers in homicide trials.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
defendants charged with first-degree murder
Defendants face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment without parole instead of the death penalty upon conviction.
prosecuting attorneys
courts
Judges are required to sentence first-degree murder convicts to life without parole and must resentence individuals currently under a sentence of death.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to individuals currently serving a death sentence if this bill passes?
Does the bill change rules regarding jury trials for punishment in homicide cases?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 18, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Complete Legislative Repeal of Capital Punishment
The bill comprehensively dismantles Missouri's statutory framework for capital punishment by repealing execution procedures, trial sentencing phases, and mandatory Supreme Court reviews.
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance90How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy95Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz75Current news / social attention level
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