Search

Search bills, members, committees and pages...

Sign In

S. 718

U.S. Senate•In Senate Committee

Summary

S. 718, “Eric’s Law”, was introduced in the Senate on Feb 25, 2025 by Sen. Ted Cruz (R) with 1 co-sponsor. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Feb 25, 2025: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Record

Text

S. 718 has 1 co-sponsor.

sb718/introduced-in-senate.txt
119 S718 IS: Eric’s Law
 U.S. Senate
 2025-02-25
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 718  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as   Eric’s Law  .
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.
 .

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-02-25
  2. Passed Senate
  3. Passed House
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in Senate Feb 25, 2025

sb718/introduced-in-senate.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in Senate (02/25/2025)

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.

Sponsors

Sen. Ted Cruz (R) sponsors S. 718, and 1 member has co-sponsored it from the day it was introduced.

Committees

S. 718 went before 1 committee: Judiciary.

Judiciary
Judiciary
Referred To · Feb 25, 2025

Actions

S. 718 has taken 2 actions since Feb 25, 2025.

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

Votes

S. 718 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to S. 718, as Identical bill.

Titles

S. 718 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Eric’s Law — Display Title
  • Eric’s Law — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • 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. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 25 registered lobbyists who named S. 718 in 9 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Agriculture, Budget/Appropriations, Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Defense, District of Columbia, Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.), Foreign Relations, Government Issues.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO—District of Columbia19—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO19—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill. The 20 named most often, of 25.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
DANIEL HOROWITZ119
ELLIOT FRIEDMAN119
FIONA KOHRMAN119
HERB SMITH119
KEITH ABOUCHAR119
LISA SWIRSKY119
SERGIO ESPINOSA119
ANTHONY LIVINGSTON118
GABRIEL PEDREIRA118
GRANT SCHOTT118
JUSTIN PERPICH118
KEVIN LIDDELL118
RYAN MIMS118
SHANNON FAULK118
STEVEN CAMPISI118
BENJAMIN KING115
MATT MUCHOWSKI115
ADAM ORLOVICH112
AMY LLOYD112
DONALD DREWETT112

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 second_quarter$590K2nd Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 first_quarter$540K1st Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 fourth_quarter$450.4K4th Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2026 first_quarter$410K1st Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2026 second_quarter$390K2nd Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 third_quarter$360.2K3rd Quarter - Amendme…
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 third_quarter$360.2K3rd Quarter - Amendme…
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 third_quarter$360.2K3rd Quarter - Report
AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFL-CIOAMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO2025 fourth_quarter$45.8K4th Quarter - Amendme…

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files S. 718 under Crime and Law Enforcement, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 2 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; S. 718’s is Crime and Law Enforcement.

s718/policy-areas.txt
Crime and Law EnforcementAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

S. 718 carries 2 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Criminal procedure and sentencing to Judicial procedure and administration.

s718/subjects.txt
Criminal procedure and sentencingJudicial procedure and administration

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com