Bill Mandating Firearm Safety Training For Tennessee Public School Students Passes In Committee, Moves To House Floor (Update 2.23.24)
***Update 2.23.24 – HB2882 is scheduled to be heard on the House Floor on Monday, February 26th. To voice your support or opposition to the legislation, find and contact your representative HERE prior their meeting. ***
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill mandating firearm safety training for public school students passed the House Education Instruction Committee yesterday 12-3 and now moves to the House floor for a vote.
Following a spirited debate about the bill, its concepts and implementation between Republicans and Democrats, Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64) requested a roll call vote on the bill which was granted by Chair Debra Moody (R-Covington-District 81).
Ten Republican Representatives were joined by two Democrats that voted for the bill, with three Democrats voting against.
Representatives that voted for students to be provided with age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction on firearm safety were Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64), Jesse Chism (D-Memphis-District 85), Mark Cochran (R-Englewood-District 23), Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield-District 76), Ronnie Glynn (D-Clarksville-District 67), Tim Hicks (R-Gray-District 6), Tom Leatherwood (R-Arlington-District 99), Debra Moody (R-Covington-District 81), John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33), Kevin Raper (R-Cleveland-District 24), Chris Todd (R-Madison Co.-District 73) and Mark White (R-Memphis-District 83).
Representatives that voted against included Aftyn Behn (D-District 51-Nashville), Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville-District 54) and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville-District 90).
House Bill 2882 (HB2882), sponsored by Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73) with the corresponding Senate Bill 2923 (SB2923) being sponsored by Senator Paul Bailey (R-Sparta-District 15) would require this training to start with the 2025-2026 school year.
If made law, the Department of Education and Safety would consult with the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to determine the earliest grade in which it would be appropriate for students to begin receiving instruction on firearm safety. The departments would be charged to consider all relevant data and risk factors in making that determination, including “the earliest age at which incidents of injury involving firearms are reported and the earliest age at which children are susceptible to harm from found firearms.”
Once instruction begins in whichever grade first deemed appropriate by the departments, it will then be repeated annually at a grade-appropriate level until graduation. Students will be taught the safe storage of firearms, school safety relating to firearms, how to avoid getting injured if a firearm is found, never to touch a firearm that is found, and to immediately notify an adult of the location of a found firearm.
The bill also states that students will receive this training in a neutral fashion as it pertains to gun rights, gun violence, and the Second Amendment. Live ammunition, live fire or live firearms will not be permitted as part of the instruction.
The Department of Education would decide if the training will be conducted in a classroom, through viewing a video, or through reviewing online materials.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.
You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
I like the idea, but anything “Mandated” is bound to fail. Just look at the Commie’s Vaxx Mandates. Americans don’t like having choice taken away.
Some parents may not want this program for their kids.
Indoctrination has many faces. Better think this through a little more.
Dept.of Edu.
Now there’s your first mistake.
Edu. Unions teaching unbiased individual constitutional rights comprehension laughable.
Mandated, HaLol, that dog won’t hunt.
Parents must hv an opt out choice.
Start in 2nd grade.
The first or last :15m of every day should be dedicated to one of the many safety lessons to available, fire, choking, minor first aid, etc.
Make the subject matter consice varied and broad.
Shoot, I’d donate to that type of local safety training to avoid sapping the county budget.
Besides any longer than :15m gives too much time to too many persons an open door to impress indoctrination.
Varied media methods are everywhere.
By 4th grade students should be able to wrap a minor burn, not to use blood thining aspirin and such. Alternating cold-heat for sprains.
Many possibilities.
No dept of edu.direction, just application.
No NRA
No boondoggle of public funds.
Development and direction by,
State police, yes
Local police, yes
Tn Firearm Asso., yes.
Parents, yes.
Bills should be written as guidelines for local descion makers.
8th grade should allow for the use of hands on unfireable rifles.
I’d donate a rifle to that, I like to think many parents would.
10th grade after-school gun clubs, yes
If a bill passes that dictates, like the public funded school supplied pornography bill, it will be abused and made inoperable.
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Politicians need to start learning from their one-size-fits all mandates.