Image: Bill Sponsor Representative Chris Todd Presents HB2882 on the House floor. Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A bill that will require Tennessee public schools and public charter schools to provide annual firearm safety training for students was passed by the House on Thursday.
House Bill 2882 (HB2882), sponsored by Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73), “as introduced, requires, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each local education agency and public charter school to provide students with age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction on firearm safety.”
Todd noted that the bill was designed to ensure that children know what to do if they see a firearm in school.
The bill requires that students be educated on topics such as firearm storage, school safety, and avoiding injury with found firearms. The curriculum is to be politically neutral.
According to the bill, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will help to coordinate the trainings through videos or online resources and approve and/or develop the curriculum. No live firearms or ammunition will be used.
Currently, there is no wording in the bill that would allow parents to choose to opt their child out of this training.
Representative Jason Powell (D-Nashville-District 53) voiced concerns about the fact that parents do not have a choice and proposed an amendment that would allow them to do so.
“For far too many children in our state who have been permanently traumatized by gun violence, subjecting them to this education has the possibility to retraumatize them. I want us to allow parents to opt out,” Powell said.
Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33) argued that the bill was a safety measure and that children would be hindered more if they were prevented from learning these measures.
Powell’s amendment was tabled. Several other amendments were withdrawn or not added to the bill.
The legislation gained bipartisan support. Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis-District 98) spoke in support of the bill, saying, “these gun safety classes will teach safety. I wish there was a way for parents to opt-in to attend these trainings.”
HB2882 passed the House vote with 79 ayes and 12 nays. One Republican, Representative Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain-District 27) voted against the legislation.
The Senate Version of the Bill (SB2923) has been referred to the Senate Education Committee but has not yet been scheduled.
