Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1117 3
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By: Representative R. Scott Richardson 5
By: Senator J. Bryant 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND 9
SECONDARY EDUCATION AND THE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND 10
FISH COMMISSION TO DETERMINE THE EARLIEST GRADE IN 11
WHICH IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE 12
INSTRUCTION ON FIREARM SAFETY; TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC 13
SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AN OPEN -ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER 14
SCHOOL TO ANNUALLY PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH INSTRUCTION 15
ON FIREARM SAFETY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 16
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Subtitle 19
CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF 20
INSTRUCTION ON FIREARM SAFETY IN PUBLIC 21
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OPEN -ENROLLMENT 22
PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. 23
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 16, Subchapter 1, is amended 27
to add an additional section to read as follows: 28
6-16-163. Instruction on firearm safety — Required. 29
(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to: 30
(1) Protect Arkansas children from the accidental discharge of 31
firearms by providing age -appropriate firearm education and instruction; and 32
(2) Empower the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission to work 33
with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to create and approve 34
age-appropriate firearm safety and use education courses. 35
(b)(1) The division, in consultation with the commission, shall 36 HB1117
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determine the earliest grade in which it is appropriate for students enrolled 1
in public school districts and open -enrollment public charter schools to 2
begin receiving instruction on firearm safety. 3
(2) In order to make the determination required under 4
subdivision (a)(1) of this section, the division and the commission shall 5
study relevant data and risk factors, including without limitation the 6
earliest age at which: 7
(A) Incidents of injury involving firearms are reported; 8
and 9
(B) Children are susceptible to harm from unsecured 10
firearms that they are able to gain access to. 11
(c) Beginning with the 2025 -2026 school year, each public school 12
district and open-enrollment public charter school shall annually provide 13
students with age-appropriate and grade -appropriate instruction on firearm 14
safety. 15
(d) The curriculum or program of instruction used to educate students 16
on firearm safety under subsection (b) of this section shall: 17
(1) Be approved by the division; 18
(2) Begin in the earliest appropriate grade as determined by the 19
division and the commission under subsection (a) of this section and continue 20
in each subsequent grade through grade twelve (12); 21
(3) Include instruction on the following without limitation: 22
(A) The proper handling and safe storage of firearms; 23
(B) School safety relating to firearms; and 24
(C) The steps to take if a student finds an unsecured 25
firearm, including without limitation the importance of: 26
(i) Avoiding injury if the student finds an 27
unsecured firearm; 28
(ii) Never touching a firearm if the student finds 29
an unsecured firearm; and 30
(iii) Immediately notifying an adult of the location 31
of the unsecured firearm; and 32
(4) Include neutral viewpoints on all included topics, including 33
without limitation: 34
(A) Gun rights and the Second Amendment to the United 35
States Constitution; and 36 HB1117
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(B) The prevention of accidental firearm injury. 1
(e)(1) The division shall not approve a curriculum or program of 2
instruction used to educate students on firearm safety if the curriculum, 3
program of instruction, or any of the instructional materials used as part of 4
the curriculum or program of instruction bear a brand or stated 5
organizational affiliation. 6
(2) However, curricula, programs of instruction, or any of the 7
instructional materials used as part of the curricula or programs of 8
instruction used to educate students on firearm safety may bear a brand 9
issued by the State of Arkansas or any of its departments, agencies, or 10
divisions. 11
(f) The division shall determine the means by which the curriculum or 12
program of instruction used to educate students on firearm safety required 13
under this section shall be provided, which shall be through: 14
(1)(A) A commission -approved firearm safety course, which may 15
include a firearm safety course that is provided in conjunction with a live -16
fire exercise or sporting event. 17
(B) If a commission -approved firearm safety course is 18
provided in conjunction with a live -fire exercise or sporting event, a 19
participating student shall obtain written approval from his or her parent, 20
legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the student; 21
(2) The viewing of a video; or 22
(3) The review of online resources and materials. 23
(g) As used in this section, "firearm" means the same as defined in § 24
5-1-102. 25
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