USA - Texas. SB 990 to allow death penalty for murders of children under 15 moves to Senate floor

March 18, 2025 - Texas. (SB 990) Bill to allow death penalty for murders involving children aged 10-15 moves to Senate floor

A bill that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for those found guilty of murdering a child between the ages 10-15 moved unanimously through the Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on its way to the full floor.

Senate Bill 990 would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for those convicted of murdering children 15 years old or younger. The current laws only allow for the death penalty in cases involving children aged 10 and younger.

The bill was authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R) as a response to the 2024 murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

In 2019, Texas lawmakers allowed prosecutors to seek capital murder charges for those charged with murdering children 10/15 years old, but only allowed them to seek life in prison without the possibility of parole.

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/bill-would-allow-death-penalty-murder-cases-involving-children-10-15-years-old-moves-senate-floor