elective firearms safety course, half a credit

The text as introduced · 456 words

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.