[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3104 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3104

 To make ideologically motivated crimes eligible for the death penalty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 5, 2025

  Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To make ideologically motivated crimes eligible for the death penalty.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ideologically Motivated Violence 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. DEATH PENALTY FOR IDEOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED CRIMES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The intentional targeting of individuals based on their 
        ideological, religious or political beliefs, or affiliations 
        poses a great threat to democratic society.
            (2) Such attacks function not only as personal crimes but 
        as coercive acts of ideological intimidation, deterring free 
        political and religious expression and endangering communities 
        exercising constitutional rights.
            (3) Violence against individuals because of their political 
        or religious beliefs, whether committed to silence dissent, to 
        make a political statement, or to punish perceived opponents, 
        undermines public safety, civil liberties, and the rule of law.
            (4) The Government has a compelling interest in ensuring 
        that individuals are not silenced or targeted because of their 
        lawful political or religious beliefs.
    (b) Death Penalty.--
            (1) In general.--Section 3592(c) of title 18, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(17) Ideological motive.--The defendant committed the 
        offense with the intent to--
                    ``(A) target the victim wholly or in part because 
                of the victim's actual or perceived political or 
                religious beliefs, affiliation, expression, or 
                activity; or
                    ``(B) promote, retaliate against, influence, 
                protest, or otherwise make a public statement 
                concerning any political or religious belief, practice, 
                institution, group, ideology, event, or public 
                figure.''.
            (2) Sentencing guidelines.--The United States Sentencing 
        Commission shall amend the United States Sentencing Commission 
        Guidelines Manual to conform with the amendment made in 
        paragraph (1), pursuant to its authority under section 994(p) 
        of title 28, United States Code.
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