AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE GUN; PROVIDING LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR AN ADVISORY QUESTION REGARDING THE STATE GUN OF IDAHO TO BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT BEFORE THE VOTERS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) In observing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, it is appropriate to commemorate the role played by firearms in America's and Idaho's histories.
(2) In United States history, citizen militias were armed with long rifles in the Revolutionary War to secure liberty. Firearms also powered westward expansion, enabling pioneers to hunt, defend families, and tame the frontier against threats like wildlife, outlaws, and harsh conditions. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms as a safeguard against tyranny and for personal security.
(3) In Idaho, explorers, such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805 through 1806, depended on rifles for survival while crossing Idaho's wilderness, hunting game and protecting against dangers. Fur trappers and mountain men in the early 1800s used accurate rifles in the Snake River region. During the 1860s gold rushes, such as those in the Idaho communities of Pierce, Boise Basin, and Idaho City, miners carried revolvers and rifles for protection from bandits, claim jumpers, and bears while building communities. Ranchers, homesteaders, and farmers in the late 1800s relied on lever-action and bolt-action rifles to obtain sustenance and for self-defense. Today, firearms support Idaho's thriving hunting and recreational shooting culture. Idaho has built a strong tradition of responsible gun ownership while having one of the highest per-capita gun ownership rates in the nation.
(4) It is appropriate to engage the people of Idaho in selecting a firearm to be designated as the official state gun of Idaho. For this reason, the Legislature herewith submits an advisory question to the electors of Idaho on the 2026 general election ballot. The results will guide the Legislature as to which gun shall be designated the state gun of Idaho.

SECTION 2. (1) The Secretary of State shall have the advisory question below placed on the 2026 general election ballot and shall take necessary steps to have the results on the question tabulated. The advisory question, unless modified by the Legislative Council pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, shall be as follows:
"Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho? Please choose only one answer.
(a) Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30);
(b) Winchester Model 1873 "Gun that Won the West" (.44-40);
(c) 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver "Peacemaker" (.45 Colt);
(d) M1 Garand rifle (.30-06);
(e) Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP); or
(f) Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06)."

(2) The advisory question provided for in this act is hereby declared to be a measure for the purposes of Chapter 66, Title 67, Idaho Code, and the provisions of Chapter 66, Title 67, Idaho Code, shall apply thereto.
(3) Prior to submission of the dossier provided for in subsection (4) of this section, the Legislative Council may add additional guns to the list of guns provided for in subsection (1) of this section.
(4) The Legislative Council shall, no later than July 1, 2026, prepare and file with the Secretary of State a dossier containing a brief statement setting forth, in simple, understandable language, the purpose of the advisory question and a brief description of each firearm identified in the advisory question. The advisory question, brief statement of purpose, and brief description of each firearm shall be included to the extent practicable in the voters' pamphlet prepared by the Secretary of State.

SECTION 3. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its passage and approval.