H.R. 1556 119th Congress House

Eric’s Law

Official title: 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: February 25, 2025 Introduced by: Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr. Republican · Pennsylvania See on congress.gov

Crime and Law Enforcement Criminal procedure and sentencingJudicial procedure and administration

Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Feb 25, 2025

Introduced in House

Feb 25, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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What's happening now February 25, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Eric's Law

This bill modifies procedures with respect to capital sentencing hearings.

If a jury at a capital sentencing hearing does not reach a unanimous recommendation on the defendant's sentence and there is a motion by the attorney for the government, the court must order a new special sentencing hearing and impanel a new jury. If the new jury at the special sentencing hearing does not reach a unanimous recommendation on the defendant's sentence, then the court is prohibited from imposing a death sentence.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 1

Judiciary Committee
House of Representatives

Lobbying activity 33

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 2nd Quarter 2026 (Apr 1 - June 30)
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter 2026 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO
for AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO · District of Columbia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)

Bodies those filers lobbied

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
33 filings
SENATE
33 filings
Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)
31 filings
Justice, Dept of (DOJ)
31 filings
Labor, Dept of (DOL)
31 filings
Commerce, Dept of (DOC)
19 filings
White House Office
18 filings
Agriculture, Dept of (USDA)
17 filings

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

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Cosponsors 3