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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high |
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school students and a virtual course on firearms safety for the |
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public. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0121 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0121. FIREARMS SAFETY ELECTIVE COURSE. (a) A |
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school district or open-enrollment charter school that offers a |
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high school program may offer to students in high school an elective |
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course on firearms safety based on the curriculum guidelines |
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developed under Subsection (c). The course must meet the |
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requirements for a one-half elective credit under Section 28.025. |
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(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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not allow a student to enroll in an elective course offered by the |
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district or school under Subsection (a) unless the district or |
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school first obtains the written consent of the parent or person |
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standing in parental relation to the student. |
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(c) The State Board of Education shall develop curriculum |
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guidelines for the elective course on firearms safety. The |
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curriculum guidelines must: |
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(1) focus on accident prevention; |
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(2) promote the safety and protection of students; |
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(3) emphasize how students should respond when |
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encountering a firearm; and |
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(4) include the information contained in the firearms |
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safety portion of a hunter education course under Section 62.014, |
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Parks and Wildlife Code. |
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(d) The State Board of Education shall develop a virtual |
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course on firearms safety that meets the requirements of an |
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elective course under Subsection (a) for a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school to offer to high school students. |
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(e) The State Board of Education shall make the virtual |
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course on firearms safety developed under Subsection (d) available |
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to: |
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(1) the agency; |
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(2) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and |
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(3) the Department of Public Safety. |
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(f) Each entity described by Subsection (e) shall make the |
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virtual course on firearms safety available to the public free of |
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charge through the entity's Internet website. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the State Board of Education shall develop: |
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(1) the curriculum guidelines required under Section |
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28.0121(c), Education Code, as added by this Act; and |
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(2) the virtual course on firearms safety required |
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under Section 28.0121(d), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |