LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL H.B. 498
6 Approved for Filing: J.V. Hulten 6
6 02-07-24 9:12 AM 6
1 FIREARM SAFETY IN SCHOOLS
2 2024 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Brett Garner
5 Senate Sponsor: ____________
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill creates a pilot program to provide a firearm safety course in public school.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 < creates a three-year pilot program to provide a one semester course in the safe
13 handling of firearms for grades 9 through 12;
14 < requires a local education agency (LEA) to:
15 C contract with a provider to supply materials and curriculum for the pilot
16 program; or
17 C develop curriculum for the pilot program;
18 < requires the State Board of Education to:
19 C select LEAs to participate in the pilot program;
20 C award grants to participating LEAs for curriculum and supplies for the pilot
21 program; and
22 C make rules, including rules establishing qualifications for instructors; and
23 < defines terms.
24 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
25 None
H.B. 498
26 Other Special Clauses:
27 This bill provides a special effective date.
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28 Utah Code Sections Affected:
29 ENACTS:
30 53F-5-222, Utah Code Annotated 1953
31
32 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
33 Section 1. Section 53F-5-222 is enacted to read:
34 53F-5-222. Outdoor recreation firearm safety curriculum pilot program.
35 (1) As used in this section:
36 (a) "Firearm" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-10-501.
37 (b) "Non-firing replica firearm" means a facsimile of a firearm that does not, and
38 cannot be modified to, expel a projectile by action of an explosive.
39 (c) "On or about school premises" means the same as that term is defined in Section
40 76-10-505.5.
41 (d) "Outdoor recreation core standards" means the supplemental physical education
42 core standards for outdoor recreation that the state board adopts.
43 (e) "Participating LEA" means an LEA that the state board selects to participate in the
44 pilot program.
45 (f) "Participating student" means a student in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 at a participating
46 LEA who is enrolled in a course offered in the pilot program.
47 (g) "Pilot program" means the pilot program created in Subsection (2).
48 (h) "Qualified instructor" means an individual who:
49 (i) meets the qualifications for instructing participating students that the state board
50 adopts under Subsection (11); and
51 (ii) instructs participating students in the pilot program.
52 (i) "Shooting range" means the same as that term is defined in Section 47-3-102.
53 (2) There is created a three-year pilot program to provide a one semester, 0.5 credit
54 physical education course in the safe handling of firearms to a participating student in grade 9,
55 10, 11, or 12.
56 (3) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, a participating LEA shall:
57 (a) (i) select a provider to supply materials and curriculum for the pilot program; and
58 (ii) contract with the provider to supply materials and curriculum for the pilot program;
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59 or
60 (b) develop curriculum for the pilot program.
61 (4) An LEA shall ensure the curriculum described in Subsection (3):
62 (a) meets the outdoor recreation core standards;
63 (b) meets the criteria and standards for approving a hunter education course that the
64 Division of Wildlife Resources establishes under Section 23-19-11;
65 (c) complies with Section 76-10-505.5, governing possession of a firearm on or about
66 school premises; and
67 (d) provides instruction in:
68 (i) the rules of firearm safety;
69 (ii) the basic operation of firearms, including handguns, shotguns, and rifles;
70 (iii) marksmanship and accuracy including safe target shooting practices;
71 (iv) the dangers of wildfire and leave-no-trace principles;
72 (v) state laws governing firearms; and
73 (vi) suicide prevention and the domestic violence lethality assessment, including
74 instruction regarding local options for voluntarily removing a firearm from a household;
75 (e) may include the use of a non-firing replica firearm on or about school premises; and
76 (f) may not include the use of a firearm on or about school premises.
77 (5) (a) A participating student may not discharge a firearm unless the participating
78 student is accompanied by a qualified instructor at a shooting range.
79 (b) A qualified instructor may not discharge a firearm as part of the qualified
80 instructor's duties under this section, unless the qualified instructor discharges a firearm at a
81 shooting range.
82 (6) A participating LEA shall:
83 (a) prior to enrolling a student, require a parent of a participating student to attend a
84 pre-course meeting that:
85 (i) provides free trigger locks to the parents;
86 (ii) discusses:
87 (A) safe storage of firearms;
88 (B) mental and behavioral health resources available at the school and in the
89 community;
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90 (C) domestic violence shelter and intervention resources in the community; and
91 (D) a detailed course overview; and
92 (b) obtain prior written consent from the parent of a participating student before the
93 participating student may participate in the pilot program.
94 (7) An LEA may not allow ammunition to be stored on a school campus.
95 (8) If the Division of Wildlife Resources approves a participating LEA's curriculum
96 described in Subsection (3) as a division-approved hunter education course under Section
97 23-19-12, the participating LEA shall issue a certificate of completion under rules the Division
98 of Wildlife Resources establishes under Section 23-19-12.
99 (9) (a) An LEA may apply to the state board to participate in the pilot program.
100 (b) The state board shall select up to three LEAs to participate in the pilot program.
101 (10) Subject to legislative appropriations, the state board shall award grants to
102 participating LEAs to:
103 (a) contract with a provider to supply materials and curriculum for the pilot program;
104 or
105 (b) develop curriculum and purchase materials for the pilot program.
106 (11) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
107 the state board shall make rules to implement the pilot program, including rules that:
108 (a) establish qualifications for instructors that deliver the curriculum described in
109 Subsection (3);
110 (b) establish application procedures;
111 (c) establish a formula to determine a participating LEA's grant amount under this
112 section; and
113 (d) permit a participating student to earn 0.5 elective credits for completing a course
114 offered by a participating LEA under this section.
115 Section 2. Effective date.
116 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2024.
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