Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 229 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H1/28/25 H2/17/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1117 3
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By: Representatives R. Scott Richardson, Andrews, Duffield, Perry, Rye 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 courses. 35
(b)(1) The division, in consultation with the commission, shall 36 As Engrossed: H1/28/25 H2/17/25 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 steps to take if a student finds an unsecured 23
firearm, including without limitation the importance of: 24
(i) Avoiding injury if the student finds an 25
unsecured firearm; 26
(ii) Never touching a firearm if the student 27
finds an unsecured firearm; and 28
(iii) Immediately notifying an adult of the 29
location of the unsecured firearm; 30
(B) School safety relating to firearms; and 31
(C) The proper handling and safe storage of firearms; 32
and 33
(4) Include neutral viewpoints on all included topics, including 34
without limitation the prevention of accidental firearm injury. 35
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(e)(1) The division shall not approve a curriculum or program of instruction 1
used to educate students on firearm safety if the curriculum, program of 2
instruction, or any of the instructional materials used as part of the 3
curriculum or program of instruction bear a brand or stated organizational 4
affiliation. 5
(2) However, curricula, programs of instruction, or any of the 6
instructional materials used as part of the curricula or programs of 7
instruction used to educate students on firearm safety may bear a brand 8
issued by the State of Arkansas or any of its departments, agencies, or 9
divisions. 10
(f) The division shall use the following preferred methods of 11
instruction in determining the curriculum or program of instruction 12
used to educate students on firearm safety: 13
(1) The viewing of a video produced by the commission or a 14
commission-approved source; 15
(2) The review of online resources and materials; and 16
(3)(A) An alternative curriculum, which may include an 17
off-campus, commission-approved firearm safety course. 18
(B)(i) An off-campus, commission-approved firearm 19
safety course may be provided in conjunction with a live -fire exercise 20
or sporting event. 21
(ii) If an off-campus, commission-approved 22
firearm safety course is provided in conjunction with a live -fire 23
exercise or sporting event, the provider of the off -campus, 24
commission-approved firearm safety course and the public school 25
district or open-enrollment public charter school in which the 26
participating student is enrolled shall obtain prior written approval 27
from the participating student's parent, legal guardian, or person 28
standing in loco parentis to the participating student. 29
(g) As used in this section, "firearm" means the same as defined in § 30
5-1-102. 31
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/s/R. Scott Richardson 33
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APPROVED: 3/4/25 35
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