Pennsylvania Bill Eliminates the Death Penalty for First-Degree Murder and Arson Resulting in Death

Original title: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) 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; and, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

Last action · September 24, 2026: Referred to JUDICIARY, Sept. 24, 2026Sponsors: Sharif Street and 7 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1450 removes the death penalty as a sentencing option for first-degree murder, first-degree murder of an unborn child, murder of a law enforcement officer, and arson resulting in death, replacing it exclusively with life imprisonment. The measure applies to all defendants and individuals not yet sentenced as of the effective date and takes effect in 60 days.

Why it matters

The bill shifts Pennsylvania's penal system by permanently barring capital punishment for capital offenses, guaranteeing that individuals convicted of these crimes face life imprisonment rather than execution.

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.

Directly affected

defendants convicted of first-degree murder

Directly affected

law enforcement officers

The legal sentencing structure for individuals convicted of murdering a law enforcement officer is altered to exclude capital punishment.

Key Facts

Removes the death penalty option for persons convicted of first-degree murder, requiring a sentence of life imprisonment.
Eliminates the death penalty for first-degree murder of an unborn child.
Removes the death penalty for murder of a law enforcement officer of the first degree.
Amends Title 18 section 3301 to eliminate the death penalty for arson resulting in death, mandating life imprisonment without the right to parole.

Show all 7 facts

Repeals Section 9711 of Title 42, which outlines the procedural framework for conducting jury death penalty sentencing hearings and automatic Supreme Court review of death sentences.
Applies to defendants and individuals who have not been sentenced as of the effective date of the act.
Takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to individuals currently on death row under this bill?

The bill applies to defendants and individuals who have not been sentenced as of the effective date of the section.

What will be the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder if this bill passes?

A person convicted of first-degree murder shall be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

1 action

Sep 24, 2026SenateCommittee
Referred to JUDICIARY, Sept. 24, 2026

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 →