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S 105 102th Congress Senate

Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act

Official title: A bill entitled the "The Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act".

Introduced: January 14, 1991 See on congress.gov
Crime and Law Enforcement Capital punishmentCorrectional personnelCriminal procedureDiscrimination
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Drugs and youthFirearmsHabeas corpusHomicideJudicial officersJudicial reviewJuriesLegal assistance to prisonersMurderNarcotic trafficOrganized crimePrisonersRacial discriminationRecidivistsReligious liberty
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 14, 1991
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Jan 14, 1991
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action January 14, 1991

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act - Provides for imposition of the death penalty for those: (1) subject to mandatory life imprisonment for committing a Federal drug felony as part of a continuing criminal enterprise; (2) convicted of committing such a felony as part of a continuing criminal enterprise where the defendant is a principal administrator, organizer, or leader of such an enterprise and, in order to obstruct the investigation or prosecution of the enterprise, attempts or conspires to kill any public officer, juror, witness, or family or household member of such a person; and (3) who, intending to cause death or acting with reckless disregard for human life, engage in a Federal drug felony resulting in the death of another person.

Sets forth mitigating factors (such as whether the defendant's mental capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his or her conduct or to conform such conduct to the requirements of the law was significantly impaired, the defendant was under unusual or substantial duress, or the defendant was an accomplice whose participation in the offense was relatively minor) and aggravating factors (such as prior convictions of offenses for which a death sentence or life imprisonment was authorized, prior convictions of two or more violent or drug offenses, certain weapons offenses, the use of minors in trafficking, and lethal adulteration of a controlled substance) in determining whether a sentence of death is justified.

Sets forth procedures for a special hearing to determine whether a sentence of death is justified. Requires the court to instruct the jury that, in considering whether a sentence of death is justified, it shall not consider the race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, or sex of the defendant or any victim. Requires the court to impose a sentence of death if the jury (or if there is no jury, the court) returns a recommendation of the death penalty.

Sets forth procedures for review and implementation of a sentence of death. Specifies that: (1) a sentence of death may not be carried out upon a person who lacks the mental capacity to understand the death penalty and why it was imposed or upon a pregnant woman; and (2) no employee of any State department of corrections or the Federal Bureau of Prisons and no employee providing services to that department or bureau under contract shall be required to participate in any execution if contrary to such employee's moral or religious convictions.

Provides for appointment of counsel in Federal capital cases for indigent defendants. Sets standards for competence of counsel. Specifies that Federal law does not create appointment of counsel requirements in State capital cases other than those imposed by the Constitution.

Specifies that appointment of counsel in the Federal habeas corpus review of State capital cases is discretionary.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 105: Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-105/
MLA
"S. 105: Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-105/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 105, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-105/.
Markdown link
[S. 105: Drug Kingpin Death Penalty Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-105/)
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