HB 6425 Summary

• Replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment without the possibility of release for murders meeting certain criteria, effective upon passage for crimes committed after that date.

• Reclassifies "capital felony" as "murder with special circumstances" and establishes it as a Class A felony subject to life imprisonment without parole eligibility.

• Applies prospectively to new crimes while preserving death penalty provisions for capital felonies committed before the effective date, which remain subject to potential capital punishment under existing law.

• Makes conforming changes throughout Connecticut statutes to update references from "capital felony" to the new "murder with special circumstances" classification in sentencing, parole, bail, and other criminal procedure provisions.

• Maintains enhanced procedural protections for murder with special circumstances cases, including jury trial requirements, witness testimony rules, and appellate review standards previously applied to capital cases.