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Eric’s Law

To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the impaneling of a new jury if a jury fails to recommend by unanimous vote a sentence for conviction of a crime punishable by death.

Introduced Feb 25, 2025

Latest action (Feb 25, 2025) Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Referred to
Judiciary Committee
Policy area
Crime and Law Enforcement
Issues
Criminal Justice
Legislative subjects (2)
Criminal procedure and sentencingJudicial procedure and administration

Summary
  • Requires the court to impanel a new jury if the original jury fails to unanimously recommend a sentence in capital cases.
  • Mandates a new special hearing with a new jury when the first jury does not unanimously recommend death, life imprisonment without parole, or a lesser sentence.
  • Requires the court to impose a non-death sentence if the second jury also fails to reach a unanimous sentence recommendation.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Robert P. Bresnahan’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • Employer not reported $255,976
  • INVESTMENTS LIMITED $21,106
  • STARKEY HEARING TECHNOLOGIES $13,200
  • TFP LIMITED $11,022
  • ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS $9,900

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Robert P. Bresnahan → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)
  1. Feb 25, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
  2. Feb 25, 2025 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 4323 — Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 4368 — Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 2255 — Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 1 — An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 1829 — STOP CSAM Act of 2025 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 4031 — Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 1654 — CUTS Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 718 — Eric’s Law (shares 2 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 718 — Eric’s Law · Introduced Feb 25, 2025 · Cong. 119 86%
  • HR 1551 — Protect and Serve Act of 2025 · Introduced Feb 25, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • S 273 — A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the intentional discrimination of a person or organization by an employee of the Internal Revenue Service. · Introduced Jul 29, 2015 · Cong. 114 60%
  • S 2122 — Jury ACCESS Act of 2025 · Introduced Jun 18, 2025 · Cong. 119 59%
  • S 1675 — Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act · Introduced May 8, 2025 · Cong. 119 57%
  • HR 4697 — Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 57%

Text versions (1)
  • Introduced in House · Feb 25, 2025

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 25, 2025

Mr. Bresnahan (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Reschenthaler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the impaneling of a new jury if a jury fails to recommend by unanimous vote a sentence for conviction of a crime punishable by death.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as “Eric’s Law”.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO IMPANEL A NEW JURY IN CERTAIN CASES.

(a) Additional Ground for Impaneling Jury.—Section 3593(b)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking “or” at the end; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(E) a new special hearing is required pursuant to subsection (g); or”.

(b) Impaneling of New Jury When Jury Does Not Reach a Unanimous Recommendation.—Section 3593 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(g) Special Rule When Jury Does Not Return a Unanimous Recommendation.—

“(1) In general.—If a jury described in subsection (b)(1) or subparagraphs (A) through (D) of subsection (b)(2) does not, by unanimous vote, make a recommendation whether the defendant should be sentenced to death, to life imprisonment without possibility of release, or some other lesser sentence pursuant to subsection (e), the court, upon motion of the attorney for the government, shall order a new special hearing and impanel a new jury pursuant to subsection (b).

“(2) Imposition of sentence.—If the jury impaneled pursuant to paragraph (1) does not reach a unanimous recommendation as to sentence, the court shall impose a sentence other than death authorized by law.”. <all>

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