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HB 99PENNSYLVANIASession 2025-2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Pennsylvania HB 99 abolishes the death penalty and establishes life imprisonment as the maximum sentence for first-degree murder

Original title: An Act 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.

Last action · April 27, 2026: Laid on the table, April 27, 2026Sponsors: Chris Rabb and 17 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Official description

An Act 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.

Why it matters

Eliminates capital punishment as a sentencing option in Pennsylvania, altering the maximum legal penalty for specific homicide convictions and modifying post-conviction DNA testing criteria for individuals under state supervision.

Background

Pennsylvania previously maintained the death penalty for certain degrees of murder under Titles 18 and 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. context
House Bill 99 was introduced in the 2025-2026 legislative session by Representative Rabb and multiple cosponsors. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

defendants and individuals who have not been sentenced

Directly affected

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

The court's exclusive jurisdiction over automatic reviews of death sentences and capital unitary reviews is removed.

Directly affected

Governor

Statutory duties requiring the issuance of execution warrants within specific timeframes are repealed.

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 does House Bill 99 change regarding sentencing for first-degree murder?

It eliminates the death penalty option, establishing that a person convicted of first-degree murder or murder of a law enforcement officer of the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment.

Who does this legislation apply to?

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

Does the bill affect the Governor's ability to commute sentences?

No, the text explicitly states that no language in the provision shall infringe upon the inherent powers of the Governor to commute said sentence.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

Coverage by outlet perspective1 article

Lean Left 1

Blind spot - no right-leaning coverage

U.N. Report: Death Penalty Constitutes Torture, Demands Global Abolition

Davis VanguardJul 23, 2026

Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Tabled in the House.

Procedural history

4 actions

Apr 27, 2026House
Laid on the table, April 27, 2026
Apr 27, 2026HouseIntroduced
First consideration, April 27, 2026
Apr 27, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported as committed, April 27, 2026
Oct 16, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to JUDICIARY, Oct. 16, 2025

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.

Related Legislation

State Bill

Pennsylvania House Bill 728 Establishes Identification Upon Reentry Program for Released Inmates

Pennsylvania House Bill 728 establishes the Identification Upon Reentry Program, requiring state correctional institutions to assist departing inmates

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Abolition of Capital Punishment Structure

The bill systematically removes death penalty references across multiple titles of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, including substantive offenses, appellate jurisdiction, postconviction DNA review, and execution warrant procedures.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Governor

Connected Entities

Governor, Danilo Burgos, Secretary of Corrections and 15 more

otherGovernor“Holder of executive power whose inherent powers to commute sentences are not inf”Map →

PersonDanilo Burgos“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 197.”Map →

OrganizationSecretary of Corrections“State official previously receiving notices of transmission of death sentence re”Map →

PersonNikki Rivera“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 96.”Map →

PersonJohanny Cepeda-Freytiz“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 129.”Map →

PersonDan Frankel“Cosponsor of House Bill 99.”Map →

PersonEmily Kinkead“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 20.”Map →

PersonChris Rabb“Primary sponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 200.”Map →

PersonDanielle Otten“Cosponsor of House Bill 99.”Map →

PersonBen Waxman“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 182.”Map →

OrganizationSupreme Court of Pennsylvania“Appellate court whose jurisdiction and review duties regarding automatic review ”Map →

PersonTarik Khan“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 194.”Map →

PersonKristine Howard“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 167.”Map →

PersonLiz Hanbidge“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 61.”Map →

PersonRick Krajewski“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 188.”Map →

PersonMelissa Shusterman“Cosponsor of House Bill 99.”Map →

PersonArvind Venkat“Cosponsor of House Bill 99, representing District 30.”Map →

PersonJoe Hohenstein“Cosponsor of House Bill 99.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.palegis.us

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 90)
Controversy95
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz75
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

What This Bill Proposed

Who It Would Have Affected

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

U.N. Report: Death Penalty Constitutes Torture, Demands Global Abolition

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Related Legislation

Pennsylvania House Bill 728 Establishes Identification Upon Reentry Program for Released Inmates

Discoveries

Abolition of Capital Punishment Structure

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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