HB 2501 — An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and murder of law enforcement officer; and, in sentencing, further providing for sentences for second and subsequent offenses and for life imprisonment for homicides.

PRINTER'S NO.   3386

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                           HOUSE BILL
                           No. 2501
                                                   Session of
                                                     2026

     INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, RAPP AND STENDER, MAY 8, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MAY 8, 2026


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and
 2      Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 3      Statutes, in authorized disposition of offenders, further
 4      providing for sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and
 5      murder of law enforcement officer; and, in sentencing,
 6      further providing for sentences for second and subsequent
 7      offenses and for life imprisonment for homicides.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.      Section 1102(b) of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
11   Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
12   adding a subsection to read:
13   § 1102.    Sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and murder
14                   of law enforcement officer.
15      * * *
16      (b)    Second degree.--
17             (1)   Except as provided under section 1102.1, a person
18      who has been convicted of murder of the second degree, of
19      second degree murder of an unborn child or of second degree
20      murder of a law enforcement officer shall be sentenced [to a
21      term of life imprisonment.] as follows:
 1              (i)    Except as provided in subparagraph (ii), the
 2        person shall be sentenced to a minimum term of
 3        imprisonment of at least 35 years.
 4              (ii)    Notwithstanding subparagraph (i), the person
 5        shall be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment without
 6        parole or a term of imprisonment of at least 40 years to
 7        life without parole, if the finder of fact determines
 8        beyond a reasonable doubt that the person:
 9                     (A)   caused the death of the victim; or
10                     (B)   was an active participant in the killing of
11              the victim.
12        (2)   Reasonable notice to the defendant of the intention
13    of the Commonwealth to seek a sentence of life imprisonment
14    without parole under paragraph (1) shall be provided after
15    the conviction and before the sentencing of the defendant.
16        (3)   In determining whether to impose a sentence of life
17    without parole in accordance with paragraph (1), the court
18    shall consider and make findings on the record regarding the
19    following:
20              (i)    The impact of the offense on each victim,
21        including oral and written impact statements made or
22        submitted by family members of the victim detailing the
23        physical, psychological and economic effects of the crime
24        on the victim and the victim's family. A victim statement
25        may include comment on the sentence of the defendant.
26              (ii)    The impact of the offense on the community.
27              (iii)    The threat posed by the defendant to the
28        safety of the public or an individual.
29              (iv)    The nature and circumstances of the offense
30        committed by the defendant, including the level of

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 1            planning, use of a deadly weapon, degree of violence and
 2            vulnerability of the victim.
 3                  (v)    The degree of the defendant's culpability.
 4                  (vi)    The defendant's prior criminal history,
 5            including the nature and circumstances of prior offenses
 6            and any history of violent conduct.
 7                  (vii)    Guidelines for sentencing and resentencing
 8            adopted by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing.
 9                  (viii)    Any other factor that the court deems
10            relevant to the imposition of a sentence under this
11            section.
12      * * *
13      (e)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
14   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
15   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
16      "Active participant."       A defendant whose conduct was a
17   substantial factor in bringing about the death of the victim or
18   who aided or attempted to aid another person in the acts
19   resulting in the victim's death. The term includes a defendant
20   who:
21            (1)   caused or attempted to cause serious bodily injury
22      to the victim;
23            (2)   committed or attempted to commit an offense listed
24      under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.14 (relating to sexual offenses and
25      tier system) against the victim;
26            (3)   used or possessed a deadly weapon during the
27      commission of the underlying felony;
28            (4)   restrained, confined, isolated or otherwise
29      prevented the victim from escaping while another person
30      caused the death of the victim;

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 1             (5)   directed, commanded, solicited or encouraged another
 2      person in conduct that resulted in the death of the victim;
 3             (6)   planned, organized or exercised decision-making
 4      authority over the commission of the underlying felony in a
 5      manner that materially contributed to the death of the
 6      victim;
 7             (7)   knowingly created a grave risk of death to the
 8      victim or another person during the commission of the
 9      underlying felony; or
10             (8)   was present at the scene of the offense and, with
11      knowledge that deadly force was being used or was
12      substantially likely to be used, failed to take reasonable
13      steps to prevent the death of the victim despite having a
14      realistic opportunity to do so.
15      "Deadly weapon."     As defined in section 2301 (relating to
16   definitions).
17      Section 2.     Sections 9714(g) and 9715(a) of Title 42 are
18   amended to read:
19   § 9714.    Sentences for second and subsequent offenses.
20      * * *
21      (g)    Definition.--As used in this section, the term "crime of
22   violence" means murder of the second degree, murder of the third
23   degree, voluntary manslaughter, manslaughter of a law
24   enforcement officer as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2507(c) or (d)
25   (relating to criminal homicide of law enforcement officer),
26   murder of the third degree involving an unborn child as defined
27   in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2604(c) (relating to murder of unborn child),
28   aggravated assault of an unborn child as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. §
29   2606 (relating to aggravated assault of unborn child),
30   aggravated assault as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1) or (2)

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 1   (relating to aggravated assault), assault of law enforcement
 2   officer as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702.1(a)(1) (relating to
 3   assault of law enforcement officer), use of weapons of mass
 4   destruction as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2716(b) (relating to
 5   weapons of mass destruction), terrorism as defined in 18 Pa.C.S.
 6   § 2717(b)(2) (relating to terrorism), strangulation when the
 7   offense is graded as a felony as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2718
 8   (relating to strangulation), trafficking of persons when the
 9   offense is graded as a felony of the first degree as provided in
10   18 Pa.C.S. § 3011 (relating to trafficking in individuals),
11   rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated
12   indecent assault, incest, sexual assault, arson endangering
13   persons or aggravated arson as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3301(a)
14   or (a.1) (relating to arson and related offenses), ecoterrorism
15   as classified in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3311(b)(3) (relating to
16   ecoterrorism), kidnapping, burglary as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. §
17   3502(a)(1) (relating to burglary), robbery as defined in 18
18   Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(1)(i), (ii) or (iii) (relating to robbery), or
19   robbery of a motor vehicle, drug delivery resulting in death as
20   defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2506(a) (relating to drug delivery
21   resulting in death), or criminal attempt, criminal conspiracy or
22   criminal solicitation to commit murder or any of the offenses
23   listed above, or an equivalent crime under the laws of this
24   Commonwealth in effect at the time of the commission of that
25   offense or an equivalent crime in another jurisdiction.
26   § 9715.   Life imprisonment for homicide.
27      (a)    Mandatory life imprisonment.--Notwithstanding the
28   provisions of section 9712 (relating to sentences for offenses
29   committed with firearms), 9713 (relating to sentences for
30   offenses committed on public transportation) or 9714 (relating

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 1   to sentences for second and subsequent offenses), any person
 2   convicted of murder of the second degree or murder of the third
 3   degree in this Commonwealth who has previously been convicted at
 4   any time of murder or voluntary manslaughter in this
 5   Commonwealth or of the same or substantially equivalent crime in
 6   any other jurisdiction shall be sentenced to life imprisonment,
 7   notwithstanding any other provision of this title or other
 8   statute to the contrary.
 9      * * *
10      Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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