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Teach Your Children Well: Schools Step Up to Offer Firearm Safety and Education Programs

Monday, April 7, 2025

Teach Your Children Well: Schools Step Up to Offer Firearm Safety and Education Programs

Providing firearm safety training opportunities to school-aged children is not a novel concept, although utilizing legislative solutions is a newer approach to this old idea. Prior to the 1970s, it was quite standard nationwide for schools to provide variations of firearm or hunter-related safety courses as part of their curriculums. Unfortunately, a trend emerged of polarizing politics over educational merit, and most formalized firearm safety educational opportunities for our nation’s youth had been extinguished in schools by the early 2000s.  

As legislative sessions hit their crossover marks and begin to wind down in many states, it has been refreshing to see renewed trends and traction in legislative efforts to help reintroduce the concept of youth firearm safety in schools to address this critical knowledge gap.  This year alone, there have been various renditions of bills introduced among the states ranging from mandatory to optional training with varied and scalable models utilizing firearm and hunter safety components. A few states to note:

Georgia’s HB 451 would allow public schools to offer hunter safety education courses in grades six through twelve. With strong bi-partisan support, this bill requires that the state Board of Education develop content standards for instruction in hunting safety no later than April 1, 2026.

In Kansas, HB 2104 aims to standardize firearm safety education programs in school districts, with the goal of promoting student safety and teaching appropriate responses when encountering firearms. The state board of education would be directed to establish curriculum guidelines that vary by grade level with the option to use NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program for kindergarten through fifth grade, with additional options to use other established programs for later grades. When a school district chooses to offer firearm safety education, it must follow state-established guidelines and ensure all students have an opportunity to take the course.

Michigan HB 4285 would mandate the development and availability of a model firearm safety instruction program for students in grades six through twelve with topics covered to include proper firearm usage, safe handling, different types of firearms, and safe hunting practices. 

In Utah, Governor Cox signed a bill that would make gun safety lessons mandatory for students. While Utah does have a statute in place allowing firearm safety to be taught in schools, this change makes it a required offering. Also, last month Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders signed Act 229 into law, which requires public and open enrollment public charter schools to provide age-appropriate firearm safety instruction beginning during the 2025-2026 school year.

The aim of these laws is to educate and protect children, clear and simple. Demonizing the ever-increasing community of lawful and safe gun owners by way of caricature in media does not help keep children safe. The very best defense against the weakening of our Second Amendment rights is instilling the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary in a culture where firearms are a normal and accepted part of life. These legislative efforts to bring back firearm safety education to schools are an important downpayment not just on safety but on restoring and reaffirming America’s traditional values in education.

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Bite This: “Scientists” Uncover Link Between “Gun Violence” and Oral Hygiene

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Bite This: “Scientists” Uncover Link Between “Gun Violence” and Oral Hygiene

Some of us remember our days as kids, when the adults in our lives would tell us before bedtime, “Brush your teeth, and say your prayers.”

Anti-gun Lawmakers Attempt to Ban Essential Second Amendment Arms

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Monday, May 5, 2025

Anti-gun Lawmakers Attempt to Ban Essential Second Amendment Arms

On April 30, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the so-called “Assault Weapons Ban of 2025.” Picking up where his predecessor Dianne Feinstein left off, Schiff’s legislation would ban commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms, such as the AR-15.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Rocky Times for Gun Owners in the Rocky Mountain State

As the Colorado legislative session closes, its 2025 edition will long be remembered and lamented as a historic assault on the Second Amendment.

Canada’s Gun Confiscation: Still Grasping for Solutions?

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Canada’s Gun Confiscation: Still Grasping for Solutions?

Last year, we wrote about how several previous enforcement schemes for Canada’s Liberal government’s 2020 gun ban and confiscation appeared to have fizzled out. 

Not Your Father’s DOJ: Government Actively Backs Second Amendment in Litigation

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Monday, May 5, 2025

Not Your Father’s DOJ: Government Actively Backs Second Amendment in Litigation

It has, in theory, always been the sworn duty of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to uphold the constitutional rights of American citizens and to affirmatively protect fundamental liberties. 

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

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Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Grassroots Spotlight: Armería El Bunker, Puerto Rico

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Monday, May 12, 2025

Grassroots Spotlight: Armería El Bunker, Puerto Rico

Ohio NRA-ILA FrontLines Activist Leader (FAL), Paul Walsh, recently went on vacation to Puerto Rico. While planning his trip, he realized there was a local gun store and began organizing an “NRA 2A Day” event on the island!

House Committee on Ways and Means Advances Legislation Involving Suppressors

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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

House Committee on Ways and Means Advances Legislation Involving Suppressors

Early this morning, The House Committee on Ways & Means, led by Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO-08) finished a markup of their section of the Reconciliation Bill. Included in this legislation was a provision which would ...

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Legislation to Ensure Ability to Ship Firearms

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Thursday, May 1, 2025

Rep. Sheri Biggs Introduces Legislation to Ensure Ability to Ship Firearms

On April 28, 2025, Representative Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03) introduced the Protecting the Mailing of Firearms Act (H.R. 3033). This legislation will remove the arbitrary prohibition on the mailing of handguns and ammunition via the United States Postal ...

Arizona: Pro-Gun Bills Pass Legislature, Head to Governor Hobbs for Signature

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Arizona: Pro-Gun Bills Pass Legislature, Head to Governor Hobbs for Signature

The Arizona Legislature recently passed several pro-gun bills that will now head to Governor Hobbs for her signature. Please use the TAKE ACTION button below to contact Governor Katie Hobbs and urge her to sign these ...

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Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.