What were the final dispositions (votes, amendments, enactment) of SB 11, HB 1119, HB 1287 and related bills in the 2026 Indiana legislative session?
Executive summary
SB 11 and HB 1119 would add firing squads as an execution option in Indiana, with HB 1119 also authorizing nitrogen hypoxia; as of the reporting available, SB 11 had a hearing but no recorded floor vote and HB 1119 cleared the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee on an 8–5 vote (Indiana Citizen; The Republic; ACLU‑IN) [1] [2] [3]. The specific disposition of HB 1287 in the 2026 session is not documented in the supplied materials, and the public legislative databases cited should be consulted for any subsequent committee or floor action [4] [5] [6].
1. SB 11 — procedural posture: heard but not voted
Senate Bill 11, the Senate vehicle to reauthorize or expand execution methods to include firing squads under certain conditions, had been given a hearing in the Senate but — in the reporting provided — had not yet received a committee or floor vote, leaving its final disposition unrecorded in these sources [1] [7] [3].
2. HB 1119 — committee passage, narrow margin, adds nitrogen hypoxia
House Bill 1119, which mirrors the firing‑squad language and additionally authorizes nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, was referred to the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code and passed that committee by an 8–5 vote on January 21, 2026; the bill’s passage out of committee does not by itself mean enactment, and no final House or Senate floor votes or governor action are documented in the provided reporting [1] [2] [3].
3. HB 1287 — unclear identity and absence of 2026 disposition in reporting
The available material references an HB 1287 from an earlier session identified with water or wastewater service, but none of the supplied 2026 reports or databases explicitly track a 2026 HB 1287 or its votes, amendments, or enactment status, so the final disposition of any bill numbered HB 1287 in the 2026 session cannot be confirmed from these sources [4] [5] [6].
4. Related bills and the short‑session context that shapes outcomes
Multiple outlets noted that the 2026 session was a short, fast timeline — meeting through mid‑February or March deadlines — meaning many bills either move quickly or die without wide notice; tracking tools such as the Indiana General Assembly site and LegiScan are the authoritative places to check subsequent committee reports, amendment histories, and final vote tallies not captured in initial news reports [7] [8] [9] [6].
5. Political dynamics, advocacy responses, and embedded agendas
The proposals prompted vocal opposition from civil liberties and faith‑based groups and were framed by the ACLU of Indiana as a “disturbing and barbaric escalation,” an advocacy line that signals civil‑rights organizations’ intent to mobilize against enactment; meanwhile, proponents, including members of the GOP majority and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s stated priorities, have pushed a broader conservative agenda that connects capital‑punishment expansion to other session priorities, showing the interplay of policy goals and political signaling [1] [3].
6. What is confirmed, what remains open, and how to verify final enactment
Confirmed by the supplied reporting: SB 11 had a hearing but no recorded vote in these sources, and HB 1119 passed its House committee 8–5 and would add nitrogen hypoxia [1] [2] [3]; not confirmed here are any subsequent amendments, final floor votes in either chamber, conference actions, or gubernatorial signature or veto — those final dispositions must be checked on the Indiana General Assembly bill pages or LegiScan for each bill number to establish whether any became law in 2026 [5] [6] [9].