# Arkansas HB1489: TO AMEND THE METHOD OF EXECUTION TO INCLUDE NITROGEN GAS.

Arkansas HB1489, TO AMEND THE METHOD OF EXECUTION TO INCLUDE NITROGEN GAS., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Blake Johnson (Republican), Jeff Wardlaw (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-03-18 (Notification that HB1489 is now Act 302) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1489-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Arkansas HB1489
- State: Arkansas
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: TO AMEND THE METHOD OF EXECUTION TO INCLUDE NITROGEN GAS.
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-14
- Last action: 2025-03-18, Notification that HB1489 is now Act 302
- Sponsors: Blake Johnson (Republican), Jeff Wardlaw (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 64
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (93 yes, 32 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Prisoners get written execution method notices: benefit, low. Within seven days after receiving the Governor's execution warrant, the prison director must give the prisoner written notice of the method. For lethal injection, the notice must name the drugs. Drugs must meet one of three sourcing standards: FDA-approved drugs from an FDA-approved manufacturer, a…
- Arkansas adds nitrogen gas for executions: mixed, low. The law allows death or life in prison without parole for a person convicted of a capital offense. Arkansas can carry out death sentences using nitrogen gas or intravenous lethal injection. The state must use electrocution if a final court order that cannot be appealed invalidates both methods. A d…
- Execution staff gain privacy and immunity: mixed, low. The law extends statutory immunity from prosecution or civil liability to people obtaining, preparing, giving, monitoring, or overseeing execution nitrogen gas. Participation in a lawful execution is not treated as physician-assisted suicide. Identifying details about covered execution staff and su…
- Public can request nitrogen execution procedures: mixed, low. The Arkansas Division of Correction must share its nitrogen-gas execution procedure when someone requests it. The division must also make its lethal-injection procedures and sworn certification of compliance with drug requirements available to the public. It must remove details that could identify…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Blake Johnson (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Jeff Wardlaw (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wade Andrews (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Sonia Eubanks Barker (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Howard M. Beaty, Jr. (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Rick Beck (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Harlan Breaux (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ronald Caldwell (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Frances Cavenaugh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Paul Childress (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Bruce Cozart (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steve Crowell (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Dan Sullivan (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Dave Wallace (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Tyler Dees (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Matt Duffield (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jon S. Eubanks (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Scott Flippo (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Tony Furman (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Gary Stubblefield (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ben Gilmore (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Justin Gonzales (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brad Hall (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: RJ Hawk (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Bart Hester (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ricky Hill (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Steve Hollowell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Missy Irvin (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jim Dotson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jane English (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jeremiah Moore (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John Payton (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lane Jean (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Joey L. Carr (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John P. Carr (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Karilyn Brown (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kim Hammer (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lee Johnson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jack Ladyman (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Wayne Long (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Robin Lundstrum (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Roger D. Lynch (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matt Brown (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark Johnson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mark D. McElroy (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matt McKee (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Rick McClure (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Austin McCollum (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Richard McGrew (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Ron McNair (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jon Milligan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jason Nazarenko (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stetson Painter (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Aaron Pilkington (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Chad Puryear (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: R. Scott Richardson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: David Ray (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Terry Rice (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Marcus E. Richmond (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Johnny Rye (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stan Berry (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matt Stone (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Randy Torres (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kendon Underwood (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: DeAnn Vaught (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steven Walker (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-11 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, March 11, 2025 3:35:12 PM | pass | 26 | 9 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | House | House Vote - Tuesday, March 4, 2025 2:03:04 PM | pass | 67 | 23 | 2 |

## Actions (13)

- 2025-03-18: Notification that HB1489 is now Act 302 (House)
- 2025-03-12: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House)
- 2025-03-11: TO BE ENROLLED (House)
- 2025-03-11: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House)
- 2025-03-11: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate)
- 2025-03-11: Read the third time and passed. (Senate)
- 2025-03-10: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Received from the House. (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House)
- 2025-02-27: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House)
- 2025-02-17: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House)
- 2025-02-14: Filed (House)

## Bill text

- HB1489 - Introduced, 2025-02-14: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1489.pdf)
- Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=302.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R)

## Related bills

- HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted)
- HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed)
- HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed)
- SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed)
- HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed)
- HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed)

## Sources
- [HB1489 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1489.pdf)
- [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=302.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R)

## Related
- [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025)
- [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025)
- [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025)
- [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025)
- [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025)
- [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1489-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).