Bill Text: TX HB2976 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high school students and the designation of August as Firearm Safety Awareness Month.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-09 - Referred to Education [HB2976 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2976-Engrossed.html
| By: Guillen, Cain, Harris of Anderson, | H.B. No. 2976 | |
| Hefner, Manuel, et al. | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high | ||
| school students and the designation of August as Firearm Safety | ||
| Awareness Month. | ||
| 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 (c). The course must meet the | ||
| requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section 28.025. | ||
| (b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may | ||
| not allow a student to enroll in an elective course offered by the | ||
| district or school under Subsection (a) unless the district or | ||
| school first obtains the written consent of the parent or person | ||
| standing in parental relation to the student. | ||
| (c) 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. | ||
| (d) 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. | ||
| (e) The State Board of Education shall make the virtual | ||
| course on firearms safety developed under Subsection (d) available | ||
| to: | ||
| (1) the agency; | ||
| (2) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and | ||
| (3) the Department of Public Safety. | ||
| (f) Each entity described by Subsection (e) shall make the | ||
| virtual course on firearms safety available to the public free of | ||
| charge through the entity's Internet website. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 662, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 662.116 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 662.116. FIREARM SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH. (a) August | ||
| is Firearm Safety Awareness Month to increase awareness of firearm | ||
| safety and encourage community residents and leaders to discuss the | ||
| safe and responsible ownership, storage, and use of firearms for | ||
| recreational and defensive purposes and to promote voluntary and | ||
| collaborative methods that improve public safety. | ||
| (b) Firearm Safety Awareness Month may be regularly | ||
| observed through appropriate activities and programs in | ||
| communities to increase awareness of and instruction on the | ||
| responsible use of firearms. A firearms accident prevention | ||
| program may include animated videos, activity books, and other | ||
| instructional materials for community residents of all ages. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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(c), Education Code, as added by this Act; and | ||
| (2) develop the virtual course on firearms safety | ||
| required under Section 28.0121(d), Education Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 28.0121, Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. | ||
| SECTION 5. 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. | ||
