24 March 2026 :
March 18, 2026 - Arizona. Senate passed SB 1751: firing squad and lethal gas
On 18 March, by a vote of 16 to 9, the Senate passed SB 1751 at its third reading; the bill amends the execution protocol by adding firing squad and lethal gas.
SB 1751 was introduced by Republican Senator Kevin Payne. The condemned person may choose between the three methods at least 20 days prior to execution. If no choice is made, lethal injection will be administered. The bill contains only the term ‘lethal gas’ and does not explicitly mention nitrogen hypoxia. With such a vague definition, once the law is passed, it will be up to the Department of Corrections to decide whether to revive the ‘old’ cyanide gas chamber, opt for nitrogen hypoxia, or introduce another method.
The bill now passes to the House of Representatives for consideration. The House had already approved a resolution on the matter last year, HCR 2024 (see HoC 26/02/2025).
For the law to come into force, a popular vote is required to approve the constitutional amendment, as set out in Senate Concurrent Resolution 1049.
https://pro.stateaffairs.com/az/legislative-report/senate/firing-squad-lethal-gas-senate
