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House approves pilot program to teach firearm-safety steps in public schools
Summary
The House passed first substitute SB 43 to create a pilot firearm-safety and violence-prevention program in public schools; sponsor said instruction will be neutral and focus on how students should respond when finding a firearm.
The Utah House voted to pass first substitute Senate Bill 43, a pilot program to provide firearm-safety and violence-prevention instruction in public schools.
Representative McKay, the bill’s House sponsor, said the pilot will teach students how to respond if they encounter a firearm — including not touching the weapon, notifying an adult and reporting the firearm’s location — and emphasized that the program is designed to be educational and ‘‘politically neutral.’’ "This training, I think, can go a long way to save and to educate young minds on the proper safety position," McKay said on the floor.
Members questioned whether existing programs (such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle) might serve the same purpose without new state spending; McKay replied the state-level program and appropriation would ensure neutrality and avoid politicization by outside groups. The bill’s language allows instruction by live instructors or state-produced video materials and does not require a single mandated age for instruction.
The House passed first substitute SB 43 by 55 votes to 16. Supporters described it as an education-first, neutral pilot; opponents warned about political influence and urged careful oversight of materials and implementation.
