House File 536 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 536 BY GEARHART A BILL FOR An Act relating to firearm, hunting, and wildlife instruction 1 provided to students enrolled in grades six through eight 2 in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter 3 schools, and innovation zone schools, and including 4 applicability provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 536 Section 1. Section 80.5, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 1 following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 13. a. The department shall cooperate 3 with the director of the department of natural resources in the 4 development of the model program described in section 455A.4, 5 subsection 1, paragraph k . 6 b. The department shall deem a students completion of 7 the model program described in section 455A.4, subsection 1, 8 paragraph k , as a successful completion of approved firearm 9 safety training under section 724.9. 10 Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 11 by adding the following new paragraph: 12 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0t. Be subject to and comply with the 13 requirements of section 280.36 relating to hunting, wildlife, 14 and firearms curricula or extracurricular activities in the 15 same manner as a school district. 16 Sec. 3. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 17 by adding the following new paragraph: 18 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 19 requirements of section 280.36 relating to hunting, wildlife, 20 and firearms curricula or extracurricular activities in the 21 same manner as a school district. 22 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 280.36 Hunting, wildlife, and firearms 23 curricula and extracurricular activities. 24 1. In grades six through eight, the board of directors of 25 each school district and the authorities in charge of each 26 accredited nonpublic school shall offer or make available as 27 part of the physical education, health, or science instruction, 28 or as an extracurricular activity, the model program developed 29 by the department of natural resources and the department 30 of public safety pursuant to section 455A.4, subsection 1, 31 paragraph k . The practical components of such curricula or 32 extracurricular activity, including hands-on firearm safety 33 demonstrations, must be conducted under controlled conditions 34 with appropriate supervision and safety protocols. 35 -1- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 6
H.F. 536 2. The board of directors of a school district or the 1 authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 2 shall not allow a student to participate in the curricula or 3 extracurricular activity described in subsection 1 unless 4 the students parent or guardian submits to the principal 5 of the students school written consent for the student to 6 participate. 7 3. If the board of directors of a school district or 8 the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 9 offer or make available the model program as part of the 10 physical education, health, or science curricula, the school 11 district or accredited nonpublic school shall not require a 12 student to participate in such curricula if the students 13 parent or guardian submits to the principal of the students 14 school a written request for the student to be excused from 15 participation. 16 4. A school employee or contractor providing instruction 17 related to the model program developed by the department of 18 natural resources and the department of public safety pursuant 19 to section 455A.4, subsection 1, paragraph k , must satisfy all 20 of the following requirements: 21 a. The employee or contractor must have successfully 22 completed a hunter education course approved by the natural 23 resources commission and been issued a certificate of 24 completion under section 483A.27. 25 b. The employee or contractor must have successfully 26 completed approved firearm safety training under section 724.9. 27 5. The board of directors of a school district or the 28 authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 29 may collaborate with local conservation organizations, law 30 enforcement agencies, and community groups to enhance such 31 curricula or extracurricular activities provided pursuant to 32 this section. 33 6. The board of directors of each school district and the 34 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall 35 -2- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 2/ 6
H.F. 536 provide information to the department of natural resources 1 related to the number of students who complete the curricula or 2 extracurricular activity described in subsection 1. 3 Sec. 5. Section 455A.4, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 4 by adding the following new paragraph: 5 NEW PARAGRAPH . k. (1) Develop, in consultation with 6 the department of public safety, and distribute to school 7 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and 8 innovation zone schools, an age-appropriate model program for 9 students enrolled in grades six through eight that includes 10 curricula related to all of the following: 11 (a) Firearm safety, handling, and storage. 12 (b) Iowa hunting laws and regulations. 13 (c) Wildlife conservation and ethical hunting practices. 14 (d) Emergency preparedness, outdoor survival skills, and 15 first aid. 16 (2) The director shall issue a certificate of completion of 17 a hunter education course to a student who completes a course 18 that uses the model program described in subparagraph (1). 19 (3) The director shall, in consultation with the department 20 of public safety, maintain a database of students who have 21 obtained a hunter education certificate, or have been deemed 22 by the department of public safety to have successfully 23 completed approved firearm safety training under section 24 724.9, as a result of completing the model program described 25 in subparagraph (1), to streamline licensing and recordkeeping 26 processes. 27 (4) The director shall, in consultation with the department 28 of public safety, submit an annual report to the general 29 assembly, on or before June 30 each year, that contains 30 information related to the number of students in this state who 31 participate in the model program described in subparagraph (1), 32 the number of students who have obtained a hunter education 33 certificate, or have been deemed by the department of public 34 safety to have successfully completed approved firearm safety 35 -3- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 3/ 6
H.F. 536 training under section 724.9, as a result of completing the 1 model program described in subparagraph (1), and feedback from 2 educators, students, and parents. 3 (5) The director shall review the model program described in 4 subparagraph (1) every five years and revise the model program 5 as necessary to ensure continued effectiveness, safety, and 6 compliance with state and federal standards. 7 Sec. 6. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 8 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 9 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 10 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 11 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 12 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 13 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 14 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 15 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 16 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 17 districts. 18 Sec. 7. APPLICABILITY. The following apply to school years 19 beginning on or after July 1, 2026: 20 1. The section of this Act enacting section 256E.7, 21 subsection 2, paragraph 0t. 22 2. The section of this Act enacting section 256F.4, 23 subsection 2, paragraph r. 24 3. The section of this Act enacting section 280.36. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to firearm, hunting, and wildlife 29 instruction provided to students enrolled in grades six through 30 eight in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, 31 charter schools, and innovation zone schools. 32 The bill requires the director of the department of natural 33 resources to develop, in consultation with the department of 34 public safety, and distribute to school districts, accredited 35 -4- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 4/ 6
H.F. 536 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone 1 schools, an age-appropriate model program for students enrolled 2 in grades six through eight that includes instruction related 3 to firearm safety, handling, and storage; Iowa hunting laws 4 and regulations; wildlife conservation and ethical hunting 5 practices; and emergency preparedness, outdoor survival skills, 6 and first aid. The director of the department of natural 7 resources is also required to issue a certificate of completion 8 of a hunter education course to a student who completes a 9 course that uses the model program. The bill establishes 10 annual reporting requirements and review requirements related 11 to the model program. 12 The bill requires the department of public safety to 13 cooperate with the director of the department of natural 14 resources in the development of the model program. The 15 bill also requires the department of public safety to deem 16 a students completion of the model program as a successful 17 completion of approved firearm safety. 18 The bill requires the director of the department of natural 19 resources, in consultation with the department of public 20 safety, to maintain a database of students who have obtained 21 a hunter education certificate, or have been deemed by the 22 department of public safety to have successfully completed 23 approved firearm safety training, as a result of completing the 24 model program. 25 The bill provides that, in grades six through eight, school 26 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, 27 and innovation zone schools are required to offer or make 28 available as part of the physical education, health, or 29 science instruction, or as an extracurricular activity, the 30 model program. The practical components of such curricula 31 or extracurricular activity, including hands-on firearm 32 safety demonstrations, must be conducted under controlled 33 conditions with appropriate supervision and safety protocols. 34 The bill provides that a school shall not allow a student to 35 -5- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 5/ 6
H.F. 536 participate in the curricula or extracurricular activity unless 1 the students parent or guardian submits to the principal 2 of the students school written consent for the student to 3 participate. Additionally, the bill provides that if the 4 school offers or makes available the model program as part 5 of the physical education, health, or science curricula, the 6 school shall not require a student to participate in such 7 curricula if the students parent or guardian submits to the 8 principal of the students school a written request for the 9 student to be excused from participation. These provisions 10 apply to school years beginning on or after July 1, 2026. 11 The bill provides that a school employee or contractor 12 providing instruction related to the model program must have 13 successfully completed a hunter education course and been 14 issued a certificate of completion and must have successfully 15 completed approved firearm safety training. This provision 16 applies to school years beginning on or after July 1, 2026. 17 The bill requires schools to provide information to the 18 department of natural resources related to the number of 19 students who complete the curricula or extracurricular 20 activity. This provision applies to school years beginning on 21 or after July 1, 2026. 22 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 23 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 24 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 25 district from state school foundation aid received by the 26 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 27 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 28 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 29 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 30 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 31 mandates included in the bill. 32 -6- LSB 2354HH (3) 91 jda/jh 6/ 6