Federal119Active
S5686
No Public Executions in America Act
Last scannedOct 19, 2026, 2:05 AM
In one sentence
This bill prohibits the recording or broadcasting of military executions and bans the use of federal funds for public executions.
What it does
- Prohibits U.S. government officers, employees, agents, and anyone acting under Department of Defense authority from recording military executions.
- Bans broadcasting, streaming, or making available to the public any audio or visual recording of a military execution.
- Prohibits publishing, posting, uploading, or distributing recordings of military executions to the public through any electronic service.
- Allows the Secretary of Defense to authorize recordings solely for official uses such as investigations, judicial proceedings, Congressional oversight, or archival purposes.
- Requires that any official recording be released only by a court order or an Act of Congress.
- Prohibits the use of federal funds to record, broadcast, or disseminate military executions unless expressly authorized by a future Act of Congress or a court order.
Who it affects
- U.S. government officers, employees, and agents.
- Persons acting under the authority or direction of the Department of Defense.
- Individuals sentenced to death under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or other federal law.
Limits and unknowns
- The bill applies to executions carried out on or after the date of enactment, regardless of when the death sentence was imposed or approved.
- The bill is currently in the Senate and has not yet become law.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Uniform Code of Military Justice
- The set of laws governing the conduct of the U.S. military, referenced in the bill as the basis for military death sentences.
- Department of Defense
- The U.S. government department that oversees the military and whose agents are subject to the recording prohibitions.
Official record
Sources
Official activity
Bill history
- Under authority of the order of the Senate of September 30, 2026, ordered read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.Senate
- Introduced in SenateLibrary of Congress