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HB166 • 2025

An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
BONNER
Last action
2025-02-04
Official status
Laid on the table, Feb. 4, 2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-04 JUDICIARY

    Reported as committed, Feb. 4, 2025

  2. 2025-02-04 H

    First consideration, Feb. 4, 2025

  3. 2025-02-04 H

    Laid on the table, Feb. 4, 2025

  4. 2025-01-16 JUDICIARY

    Referred to JUDICIARY, Jan. 16, 2025

Official Summary Text

An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
PRINTER'S NO. 124
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 166
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BONNER, KHAN, PIELLI, BURGOS, STAATS AND DELLOSO,
JANUARY 16, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 16, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further
providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first
degree.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 9711(c)(1)(iv) of Title 42 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 9711. Sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.
* * *
(c) Instructions to jury.--
(1) Before the jury retires to consider the sentencing
verdict, the court shall instruct the jury on the following
matters:
* * *
(iv) The verdict must be a sentence of death if the
jury unanimously finds at least one aggravating
circumstance specified in subsection (d) and no
mitigating circumstance or if the jury unanimously finds
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one or more aggravating circumstances which outweigh any
mitigating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt. The
verdict must be a sentence of life imprisonment in all
other cases.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20250HB0166PN0124 - 2 -
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