S 718 — Eric’s Law

Summary

Amends federal death penalty sentencing procedures to require impaneling a new jury if an initial jury does not unanimously recommend a sentence in a capital case.
Requires the court, upon motion by the government's attorney, to order a new special hearing and impanel a new jury if the first jury fails to reach a unanimous recommendation on whether to impose death, life imprisonment without release, or another sentence.
Requires the court to impose a sentence other than death if the second jury also fails to reach a unanimous recommendation on sentence.

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)

Sen. Cruz, Ted (R-TX)

1 cosponsor

Sen. Ricketts, Pete (R-NE)

Money behind the sponsor

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

Employer not reported $4,424,745
ENTREPRENEUR $458,096
RDV CORPORATION $39,600
AMERICAN AIRLINES $29,632
BLACKSTONE $27,400

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

Actions (2)

Feb 25, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. · senate
Feb 25, 2025 Introduced in Senate

Related bills (1)

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).

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.

Text versions (1)

Introduced in Senate · Feb 25, 2025

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

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 25, 2025

Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 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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