"Rape a child and you don't get a second chance, you get the death penalty." Rep. Nancy Mace just introduced a bill to make it law.

Rep. Nancy Mace introduced the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act on February 26, 2026. The bill would authorize capital punishment for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and abusive sexual contact against children under federal law and the military justice code.

The bill directly challenges the Supreme Court's 2008 ruling in Kennedy v. Louisiana, which held that executing someone for child rape violates the Eighth Amendment when the victim survives. If enforced, the law would trigger a case pushing the current Court to revisit that precedent. Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee have passed similar state laws, all facing legal challenges. Twenty state attorneys general have urged the DOJ to support overturning the ruling.

Mace framed the bill as part of her push for accountability after the Epstein hearings. She is also running for governor in South Carolina, making it both policy and campaign statement.