Idaho Lawmakers Pass Firing Squad Execution Legislation

Nine people are currently on death row in Idaho.

An armed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officer escorts a condemned inmate at San Quentin State Prison's death row in San Quentin, California on Aug. 15, 2016. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Lawmakers in Idaho passed new legislation on Wednesday that, if signed into law, could make death by firing squad the state’s primary method of execution for inmates on death row.

House Bill 37 passed the state’s Senate in a 28–7 vote roughly a month after the House voted 58–11 to pass it. It will take effect on July 1, 2026, if it is signed by Gov. Brad Little.