PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3870-3871)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 2, 2002
Death Penalty Review Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal judicial code to require a Governor, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the Secretary of a military branch, or any other Federal official with authority to carry out a sentence, upon notice that a party has filed a motion for a stay of execution or has filed or has been granted certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court in an appeal from a case in which the sentence is death, to suspend the execution until: (1) the Supreme Court enters a stay of execution; or (2) certiorari is acted upon and the case is disposed of by the Supreme Court. Directs the Supreme Court to: (1) treat a motion for a stay of execution as a petition for certiorari; and (2) in an appeal from a case in which the sentence is death, to issue a writ of certiorari upon the vote of at least four qualified justices.Sets forth provisions regarding State and Federal court habeas corpus proceedings. Requires a U.S. justice or judge before whom such a proceeding that involves the death sentence is pending to stay the execution until the proceeding is completed. Provides that if the issuance of such stay requires more than one judge to concur or vote on the stay, the court shall grant the stay.
People & committees
Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R–PA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3870-3871)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3859-3865)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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