89R265 MEW-D
By: Schofield H.B. No. 4983
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high
school students and a virtual course on firearms safety for the
public.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 28.0121 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.0121. FIREARMS SAFETY ELECTIVE COURSE. (a) A
school district or open-enrollment charter school that offers a
high school program may offer to students in high school an elective
course on firearms safety based on the curriculum guidelines
developed under Subsection (c). The course must meet the
requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section 28.025.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
not allow a student to enroll in an elective course offered by the
district or school under Subsection (a) unless the district or
school first obtains the written consent of the parent or person
standing in parental relation to the student.
(c) The State Board of Education shall develop curriculum
guidelines for the elective course on firearms safety. The
curriculum guidelines must:
(1) focus on accident prevention;
(2) promote the safety and protection of students;
(3) emphasize how students should respond when
encountering a firearm; and
(4) include the information contained in the firearms
safety portion of a hunter education course under Section 62.014,
Parks and Wildlife Code.
(d) The State Board of Education shall develop a virtual
course on firearms safety that meets the requirements of an
elective course under Subsection (a) for a school district or
open-enrollment charter school to offer to high school students.
(e) The State Board of Education shall make the virtual
course on firearms safety developed under Subsection (d) available
to:
(1) the agency;
(2) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and
(3) the Department of Public Safety.
(f) Each entity described by Subsection (e) shall make the
virtual course on firearms safety available to the public free of
charge through the entity's Internet website.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the State Board of Education shall develop:
(1) the curriculum guidelines required under Section
28.0121(c), Education Code, as added by this Act; and
(2) the virtual course on firearms safety required
under Section 28.0121(d), Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
school year.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.