Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill mandating firearm safety training for public school students passed the House Education Instruction Committee yesterday 12-3 and now moves to the House floor for a vote.
Following a spirited debate about the bill, its concepts and implementation between Republicans and Democrats, Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64) requested a roll call vote on the bill which was granted by Chair Debra Moody (R-Covington-District 81).
Ten Republican Representatives were joined by two Democrats that voted for the bill, with three Democrats voting against.
Representatives that voted for students to be provided with age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction on firearm safety were Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64), Jesse Chism (D-Memphis-District 85), Mark Cochran (R-Englewood-District 23), Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield-District 76), Ronnie Glynn (D-Clarksville-District 67), Tim Hicks (R-Gray-District 6), Tom Leatherwood (R-Arlington-District 99), Debra Moody (R-Covington-District 81), John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33), Kevin Raper (R-Cleveland-District 24), Chris Todd (R-Madison Co.-District 73) and Mark White (R-Memphis-District 83).
Representatives that voted against included Aftyn Behn (D-District 51-Nashville), Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville-District 54) and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville-District 90).
House Bill 2882 (HB2882), sponsored by Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73) with the corresponding Senate Bill 2923 (SB2923) being sponsored by Senator Paul Bailey (R-Sparta-District 15) would require this training to start with the 2025-2026 school year.
If made law, the Department of Education and Safety would consult with the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to determine the earliest grade in which it would be appropriate for students to begin receiving instruction on firearm safety. The departments would be charged to consider all relevant data and risk factors in making that determination, including “the earliest age at which incidents of injury involving firearms are reported and the earliest age at which children are susceptible to harm from found firearms.”
Once instruction begins in whichever grade first deemed appropriate by the departments, it will then be repeated annually at a grade-appropriate level until graduation. Students will be taught the safe storage of firearms, school safety relating to firearms, how to avoid getting injured if a firearm is found, never to touch a firearm that is found, and to immediately notify an adult of the location of a found firearm.
The bill also states that students will receive this training in a neutral fashion as it pertains to gun rights, gun violence, and the Second Amendment. Live ammunition, live fire or live firearms will not be permitted as part of the instruction.
The Department of Education would decide if the training will be conducted in a classroom, through viewing a video, or through reviewing online materials.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.
You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
