House Study Bill 200 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY BILL BY CHAIRPERSON VONDRAN) A BILL FOR An Act relating to firearm safety instruction in school 1 districts. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2801YC (1) 91 jda/jh

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 69. a. By July 1, 2026, develop and 3 distribute to all school districts an age-appropriate model 4 program for firearm safety instruction for students enrolled 5 in kindergarten through grade twelve. The model program for 6 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six shall be 7 based on the eddie eagle gunsafe program developed by the 8 national rifle association. The model program for students 9 enrolled in grades seven through twelve shall be based on 10 the hunter education course developed by the national rifle 11 association and, if adopted by a school district, would satisfy 12 the school district’s responsibilities under section 279.50B. 13 b. School districts are encouraged to implement the model 14 program for students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six 15 developed pursuant to paragraph “a” . 16 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 279.50B Firearm safety instruction. 17 Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2026, 18 the board of directors of each school district shall offer or 19 make available an approved firearm safety instruction course 20 to all students enrolled in the school district in grades 21 seven through twelve and all students enrolled in grades 22 seven through twelve attending a nonpublic school in the 23 school district. An instructor for an approved firearm safety 24 instruction course is not required to be a teacher licensed 25 by the board of educational examiners. School districts may 26 offer courses at sites that are not located on school district 27 property, including nonpublic school facilities within the 28 school district. An approved course offered during the summer 29 months, on Saturdays, after regular school hours during the 30 regular terms or partly in one term or summer vacation period 31 and partly in the succeeding term or summer vacation period, as 32 the case may be, shall satisfy the requirements of this section 33 to the same extent as an approved course offered during the 34 regular school hours of the school calendar. 35 -1- LSB 2801YC (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. _____ Sec. 3. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 1 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 2 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 3 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 4 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 5 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 6 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 7 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 8 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 9 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 10 districts. 11 EXPLANATION 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 13 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 14 This bill relates to firearm safety instruction in school 15 districts. 16 The bill requires the director of the department of 17 education to develop and distribute to all school districts 18 an age-appropriate model program for firearm instruction for 19 pupils enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 by July 1, 20 2026. The model program for students enrolled in grades 21 kindergarten through six is required to be based on the eddie 22 eagle gunsafe program, and the model program for students 23 enrolled in grades 7 through 12 is required to be based on 24 the hunter education course developed by the national rifle 25 association. 26 Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2026, the 27 bill requires school districts to offer or make available an 28 approved firearm safety instruction course to all students 29 enrolled in the school district in grades 7 through 12 and 30 all students enrolled in grades 7 through 12 attending a 31 nonpublic school in the school district. The bill provides 32 that an instructor for an approved firearm safety instruction 33 course is not required to be a teacher licensed by the board of 34 educational examiners. The bill authorizes school districts 35 -2- LSB 2801YC (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. _____ to offer firearm safety instruction courses at sites that are 1 not located on school district property. The bill provides 2 that an approved course offered during the summer months, on 3 Saturdays, after regular school hours during the regular terms 4 or partly in one term or summer vacation period and partly in 5 the succeeding term or summer vacation period shall satisfy the 6 bill’s requirements. 7 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 8 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 9 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 10 district from state school foundation aid received by the 11 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 12 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 13 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 14 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 15 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 16 mandates included in the bill. 17 -3- LSB 2801YC (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3