Senate Bill 930 Summary

• Creates a 10-member Commission on the Death Penalty within the Office of Administration, with balanced representation including legislators from both parties, legal professionals, public defenders, attorneys general, and family members of murder victims and death row inmates.

• Commission must be appointed and staffed by December 1, 2010, and shall hold public hearings throughout Missouri to study all aspects of death penalty administration, including comprehensive review of all capital cases filed since January 1, 1977.

• Commission shall analyze case data including defendant and victim demographics, defendant mental health status, counsel experience levels, evidence quality, appellate results, and cost comparisons between capital and non-capital homicide cases.

• Commission shall report findings and recommendations to the governor, legislature, and Missouri Supreme Court by January 1, 2014, including proposals to ensure defendants' guilt, adequate legal representation, fair treatment regardless of race, and consistent prosecution criteria.

• Establishes a moratorium on all executions from the effective date through January 1, 2014, though capital case proceedings and post-conviction motions continue during this period without scheduled execution dates.