STATE GUN – States findings of the Legislature and provides for an advisory question regarding the state gun of Idaho to be placed on the ballot before the voters.

LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
932
BY
WAYS
AND
MEANS
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
THE
STATE
GUN;
PROVIDING
LEGISLATIVE
FINDINGS;
PROVIDING
FOR
AN
2
ADVISORY
QUESTION
REGARDING
THE
STATE
GUN
OF
IDAHO
TO
BE
PLACED
ON
THE
3
BALLOT
BEFORE
THE
VOTERS;
AND
DECLARING
AN
EMERGENCY.
4
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
5
SECTION
1.
The
Legislature
finds
and
declares
that:
6
(1)
In
observing
the
250th
anniversary
of
the
signing
of
the
Declara
-
7
tion
of
Independence
of
the
United
States,
it
is
appropriate
to
commemorate
8
the
role
played
by
firearms
in
America's
and
Idaho's
histories.
9
(2)
In
United
States
history,
citizen
militias
were
armed
with
long
10
rifles
in
the
Revolutionary
War
to
secure
liberty.
Firearms
also
powered
1
1
westward
expansion,
enabling
pioneers
to
hunt,
defend
families,
and
tame
12
the
frontier
against
threats
like
wildlife,
outlaws,
and
harsh
conditions.
13
The
Second
Amendment
to
the
United
States
Constitution
protects
the
right
to
14
keep
and
bear
arms
as
a
safeguard
against
tyranny
and
for
personal
security.
15
(3)
In
Idaho,
explorers,
such
as
Meriwether
Lewis
and
William
Clark
in
16
1805
through
1806,
depended
on
rifles
for
survival
while
crossing
Idaho's
17
wilderness,
hunting
game
and
protecting
against
dangers.
Fur
trappers
and
18
mountain
men
in
the
early
1800s
used
accurate
rifles
in
the
Snake
River
re
-
19
gion.
During
the
1860s
gold
rushes,
such
as
those
in
the
Idaho
communities
20
of
Pierce,
Boise
Basin,
and
Idaho
City,
miners
carried
revolvers
and
rifles
21
for
protection
from
bandits,
claim
jumpers,
and
bears
while
building
com
-
22
munities.
Ranchers,
homesteaders,
and
farmers
in
the
late
1800s
relied
on
23
lever
-
action
and
bolt
-
action
rifles
to
obtain
sustenance
and
for
self
-
de
-
24
fense.
Today,
firearms
support
Idaho's
thriving
hunting
and
recreational
25
shooting
culture.
Idaho
has
built
a
strong
tradition
of
responsible
gun
own
-
26
ership
while
having
one
of
the
highest
per
-
capita
gun
ownership
rates
in
the
27
nation.
28
(4)
It
is
appropriate
to
engage
the
people
of
Idaho
in
selecting
a
29
firearm
to
be
designated
as
the
official
state
gun
of
Idaho.
For
this
reason,
30
the
Legislature
herewith
submits
an
advisory
question
to
the
electors
of
31
Idaho
on
the
2026
general
election
ballot.
The
results
will
guide
the
Legis
-
32
lature
as
to
which
gun
shall
be
designated
the
state
gun
of
Idaho.
33
SECTION
2.
(1)
The
Secretary
of
State
shall
have
the
advisory
question
34
below
placed
on
the
2026
general
election
ballot
and
shall
take
necessary
35
steps
to
have
the
results
on
the
question
tabulated.
The
advisory
question,
36
unless
modified
by
the
Legislative
Council
pursuant
to
subsection
(3)
of
37
this
section,
shall
be
as
follows:
38
"Which
of
the
following
guns
should
be
designated
as
the
state
gun
39
of
Idaho?
Please
choose
only
one
answer.
40
(a)
Winchester
Model
1894
(.30
-
30);
41

2
(b)
Winchester
Model
1873
"Gun
that
Won
the
West"
(.44
-
40);
1
(c)
1873
Colt
Single
Action
Army
Revolver
"Peacemaker"
(.45
Colt);
2
(d)
M1
Garand
rifle
(.30
-
06);
3
(e)
Colt
M1911
.45
automatic
Colt
pistol
(.45
ACP);
or
4
(f)
Remington
Model
700
bolt
-
action
rifle
(.30
-
06)."
5
(2)
The
advisory
question
provided
for
in
this
act
is
hereby
declared
6
to
be
a
measure
for
the
purposes
of
Chapter
66,
Title
67,
Idaho
Code,
and
the
7
provisions
of
Chapter
66,
Title
67,
Idaho
Code,
shall
apply
thereto.
8
(3)
Prior
to
submission
of
the
dossier
provided
for
in
subsection
(4)
of
9
this
section,
the
Legislative
Council
may
add
additional
guns
to
the
list
of
10
guns
provided
for
in
subsection
(1)
of
this
section.
1
1
(4)
The
Legislative
Council
shall,
no
later
than
July
1,
2026,
prepare
12
and
file
with
the
Secretary
of
State
a
dossier
containing
a
brief
statement
13
setting
forth,
in
simple,
understandable
language,
the
purpose
of
the
advi
-
14
sory
question
and
a
brief
description
of
each
firearm
identified
in
the
advi
-
15
sory
question.
The
advisory
question,
brief
statement
of
purpose,
and
brief
16
description
of
each
firearm
shall
be
included
to
the
extent
practicable
in
17
the
voters'
pamphlet
prepared
by
the
Secretary
of
State.
18
SECTION
3.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
19
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
its
20
passage
and
approval.
21