A bill requiring firearm safety education in Utah public schools for students as young as kindergarten has passed the state House with overwhelming support. The measure, which heads to the Senate, mandates annual instruction throughout K-12 on how to respond to encountering a firearm. While supporters aim to prevent accidental shootings, some gun violence prevention advocates argue the responsibility lies with adults, not children.
Utah students as young as kindergarten could be required to learn about firearm safety in the classroom under a bill that passed the state House with overwhelming support Friday. The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure in a 59-10 vote and sent it to the Senate, despite concerns from some gun violence prevention advocates. Under the proposal, public school students would receive mandatory instruction throughout their K-12 years on how to respond if they encounter a gun.
The lessons, which could be presented in a video or by an instructor displaying an actual firearm, would demonstrate best practices for safely handling and storing a gun to prevent accidents. Elementary age children would learn about gun safety on at least three occasions by the time they reach sixth grade, with the possibility for that instruction to begin in kindergarten, when kids are around five years old. The bill’s Republican sponsor, Rep. Rex Shipp of Cedar City, said it’s aimed at preventing accidental shootings by and of young children. The lessons, he said, will be age-appropriate for each grade level, with younger students learning to avoid touching a gun and alert an adult immediately. ‘A lot of times when they don’t have any firearms in their homes or don’t do any hunting and shooting, then these kids are not taught what to do when they come in contact with a firearm,’ Shipp said. One other state, Tennessee, has a law on the books requiring firearm safety training in public schools, but it lets education officials determine in which grade they think it’s appropriate for students to start receiving that instruction. The lessons, set to begin next school year, will be annual and cannot include live firearms or ammunition. A Utah statute already allows firearm safety to be taught in schools, but Shipp said teachers don’t currently do so. His bill makes it mandatory but allows parents to opt their kids out of the instruction. If it passes the similarly Republican-led Senate and is signed into law, the lessons would begin next school year. Gun violence prevention advocates have applauded Utah Republicans for pushing for more gun safety education, but some argue those lessons should be aimed at adults. The proposal unfairly places the responsibility of gun safety on children rather than their parents, said Barbara Gentry of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah. ‘Guns and gun safety are the responsibility of the adult gun owner, not school children,’ Gentry said. ‘We support schools sending home materials to parents outlining the importance of safe storage in keeping our families and schools safe from gun violence.’ Jaden Christensen, a volunteer with the Utah chapter of Moms Demand Action, said lawmakers should instead look to grow programs that teach parents the importance of keeping firearms away from children
FIREARM SAFETY EDUCATION UTAH LEGISLATION GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION CHILDREN PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah House Passes Controversial 'Union Buster' BillThe Utah House of Representatives has approved HB 267, a bill that significantly restricts the power of public sector unions in the state. Critics argue that the bill undermines the democratic rights of public employees and threatens the quality of public education.
Read more »
Utah House Passes Bill Limiting Public Sector Labor UnionsThe Utah House of Representatives passed HB267, a bill that would change the way public labor unions operate in the state. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Teuscher, would limit collective bargaining and restrict union representatives from doing union work during public time. The bill sparked spirited debate among lawmakers and drew a large crowd of people to testify at a committee hearing last week.
Read more »
Utah House Passes Bill Limiting Dorm Assignments to Sex Assigned at BirthA bill requiring students living in Utah public university dormitories to only stay in areas assigned to their sex at birth easily advanced in the House on Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius (R-Eagle Mountain), H.B. 269, will change the guidelines for those who identify as transgender on campus and sparked debate. Supporters argued it protects the rights of all, while opponents accused the House of targeting the LGBTQ community. The bill now heads to the Utah Senate for a vote.
Read more »
Utah House passes bill allowing 18-year-olds to openly carry firearmsUtah lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday that would allow 18- to 20-year-olds to openly carry firearms in most public places.
Read more »
Utah House Passes Bill on Transgender InmatesA bill concerning transgender inmates passed in the Utah House of Representatives with a vote of 60-14. The bill focuses on three main actions: prohibiting sexual relationships between juvenile detention staff and individuals in custody, requiring inmates to be housed based on their biological sex, and clarifying the definition of 'sexually suggestive behavior'.
Read more »
Utah House Passes Bill Allowing Expedited Deportation of Convicted ImmigrantsThe Utah House of Representatives voted to approve HB226, a bill that would allow federal authorities to immediately deport immigrants convicted of violent class A misdemeanors. The bill, if signed into law, would reverse a 2019 law that reduced the maximum sentence for a class A misdemeanor to 364 days, a change that had been seen as an obstacle to federal deportation efforts.
Read more »