Current status: introduced, not law
On May 20, 2026, Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced H.R. 8940, the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As of September 24, 2026, the official congressional record lists no later action, so the bill has not become law.
A bill does not change the law simply because it is introduced. H.R. 8940 would need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the president before it could take effect.
What H.R. 8940 would do
The proposal would prohibit a death sentence or execution for any violation of federal law. It would also require resentencing for people who were already sentenced to death under federal law before the measure took effect.
The bill concerns federal law. It would not restore or change New York's state death-penalty statute, which New York's highest court made unusable in 2004.
Why a federal bill matters in Western New York
New York does not have a working state death penalty. Federal prosecutors can still seek a death sentence in limited federal cases, which is why national law remains relevant to the Buffalo community.
The coalition supports public safety, accountability, and care for victims and survivors without an execution. H.R. 8940 puts that question directly before Congress: whether the federal government should retain the power to impose a death sentence.