A bill to establish rational criteria for the mandatory imposition of the sentence of death, and for other purposes.

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] States that a person shall be subjected to the penalty of death for any offense prohibited by the laws of the United States only if a hearing is held in accordance with this Act. States that when a defendant is found guilty of or pleads guilty to an offense for which one of the sentences provided is death, the judge who presided at the trial or before whom the guilty plea was entered shall conduct a separate sentencing hearing to determine the existence or nonexistence of the factors set forth in this Act for the purpose of determining the sentence to be imposed. Sets forth the procedures to be followed in such a hearing. Provides that the court shall not impose the sentence of death on the defendant if the jury or, if there is no jury, the court finds by a special verdict that at the time of the offense: (1) he was under the age of eighteen; (2) his capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was significantly impaired, but not so impaired as to constitute a defense to prosecution; (3) he was under unusual substantial duress, although not such duress as to constitute a defense to prosecution; (4) he was a principal in…