Justice for Murder Victims Act

Under an old common-law rule still embedded in some federal statutes, a person couldn't be prosecuted for murder if the victim died more than a year and a day after the attack. Medical advances mean people now survive longer after serious injuries, sometimes dying years later from those injuries. This bill eliminates that time limit for federal homicide prosecutions — so if someone is fatally injured, the attacker can be charged with murder regardless of how long the victim survives before dying. The one exception: the death penalty can only be imposed if death occurred within a year and a day of the act.