No Public Executions in America Act

Mark Kelly

Democrat · AZ · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)Original· 2026-10-15

Under authority of the order of the Senate of September 30, 2026, ordered read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

2026-10-15

Source: Congress.gov

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-10-15. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5686 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5686 To prohibit recording or broadcasting military executions and to prohibit the use of Federal funds for public executions. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 15, 2026 Mr. Kelly (for himself and Mr. Coons), under authority of the order of the Senate of September 30, 2026, introduced the following bill; which was ordered read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To prohibit recording or broadcasting military executions and to prohibit the use of Federal funds for public executions. 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 ``No Public Executions in America Act''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON RECORDING OR BROADCASTING MILITARY EXECUTIONS. Subchapter IX of chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 870 the following new section: ``Sec. 871. Art. 71. Prohibition on recording or broadcasting executions ``(a) In General.--No officer, employee, or agent of the United States, or any person acting under the authority or direction of the Department of Defense, may, with respect to the execution of any person sentenced to death under this chapter, knowingly-- ``(1) photograph, film, videotape, make an audio recording of, or otherwise create an audio or visual recording or depiction of, the execution; ``(2) broadcast, transmit, stream, or otherwise make available to the public, in real time or on a delayed basis, an audio or visual recording or depiction of the execution; or ``(3) publish, post, upload, distribute, or cause to be distributed to the public an audio or visual recording or depiction of the execution, including through a Federal Government website, television broadcast, digital platform or interface, nongovernment website, or other electronic communications service. ``(b) Application.--The prohibitions under paragraphs (2) and (3) subsection (a) shall apply without regard to whether an audio or visual recording or depiction of an execution-- ``(1) is recorded, stored, or preserved; or ``(2) is made by a person acting with the authorization of the Department of Defense. ``(c) Limited Exception for Official Use.-- ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may authorize the creation and retention of an audio or visual recording or depiction of the execution of a person sentenced to death under this chapter solely for official use, including for an investigation, judicial proceeding, oversight by Congress, or archival and historical purposes. ``(2) Prohibition on public dissemination.--A recording or depiction created under paragraph (1) may not be publicly disseminated except pursuant to a court order or an Act of Congress.''. SEC. 3. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PUBLIC EXECUTIONS. No Federal funds may be obligated, expended, or otherwise used to photograph, film, record, broadcast, publish, or otherwise disseminate to the public any audio or visual recording or depiction of the execution of any person sentenced to death under chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or any other provision of Federal law, unless expressly authorized by an Act of Congress enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act or pursuant to a court order. SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY. This Act and amendments made by section 2 of this Act shall-- (1) take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) apply to any execution carried out on or after that date, without regard to the date on which the sentence of death was imposed…

or approved by the President. <all>

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