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Lawmakers Weigh Two Gun‑education Proposals: Mandatory School Gun‑safety vs Encouraging Hunter Ed
Summary
Lawmakers heard competing ideas: HB 1830 would require DOE to establish mandatory firearm‑safety training statewide, while HB 1122 would encourage districts to offer Fish & Game hunter‑education courses and access federal Pittman‑Robertson funds; witnesses ranged from superintendents offering existing voluntary programs to mental‑health and parental advocates urging caution about mandates and school time.
Two bills about firearms and outdoors education drew extended testimony at the House Education Policy Committee.
HB 1830, introduced by Representative Katie Pedernell, would require the Department of Education to establish a mandatory firearm‑safety training program for all public schools and appropriates initial funds in the bill. Opponents, including education associations and several parents, argued the bill would be an unnecessary unfunded mandate that diverts instructional time and imposes administrative and reporting burdens on districts. "Firearm safety is a responsibility of adults, not kids,"…
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