Relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high school students.
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB02976I.htm
| 88R9895 MEW-D | ||
| By: Guillen | H.B. No. 2976 | |
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| relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high | ||
| school students. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 28.0121 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 28.0121. FIREARMS SAFETY ELECTIVE COURSE. (a) A | ||
| school district or open-enrollment charter school that offers a | ||
| high school program may offer to students in high school an elective | ||
| course on firearms safety based on the curriculum guidelines | ||
| developed under Subsection (b). The course must meet the | ||
| requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section 28.025. | ||
| (b) The State Board of Education shall develop curriculum | ||
| guidelines for the elective course on firearms safety. The | ||
| curriculum guidelines must: | ||
| (1) focus on accident prevention; | ||
| (2) promote the safety and protection of students; | ||
| (3) emphasize how students should respond when | ||
| encountering a firearm; and | ||
| (4) include the information contained in the firearms | ||
| safety portion of a hunter education course under Section 62.014, | ||
| Parks and Wildlife Code. | ||
| (c) The State Board of Education shall develop a virtual | ||
| course on firearms safety that meets the requirements of an | ||
| elective course under Subsection (a) for a school district or | ||
| open-enrollment charter school to offer to high school students. | ||
| (d) The State Board of Education shall make the virtual | ||
| course on firearms safety developed under Subsection (c) available | ||
| to: | ||
| (1) the agency; | ||
| (2) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and | ||
| (3) the Department of Public Safety. | ||
| (e) Each entity described by Subsection (d) shall make the | ||
| virtual course on firearms safety available to the public free of | ||
| charge through the entity's Internet website. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the State Board of Education shall: | ||
| (1) develop the curriculum guidelines required under | ||
| Section 28.0121(b), Education Code, as added by this Act; and | ||
| (2) develop the virtual course on firearms safety | ||
| required under Section 28.0121(c), Education Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 28.0121, Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
