House File 73 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 73 BY WHEELER and ABDUL-SAMAD A BILL FOR An Act relating to firearm education in schools, including 1 requiring the director of the department of education to 2 develop and distribute age-appropriate model programs for 3 firearm safety instruction and modifying provisions related 4 to the required instruction in public schools and accredited 5 nonpublic schools in grades six through twelve. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 TLSB 1496YH (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 73 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2023, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 66. a. By July 1, 2024, develop and 3 distribute to all school districts an age-appropriate model 4 program for firearm safety instruction for pupils enrolled 5 in kindergarten through grade twelve. The model program for 6 pupils enrolled in kindergarten through grade five shall be 7 based on the eddie eagle gunsafe program developed by the 8 national rifle association. The model program for pupils 9 enrolled in grades six through twelve shall be based on 10 the hunter education course developed by the national rifle 11 association. 12 b. School districts are encouraged to implement the model 13 program for pupils enrolled in kindergarten through grade five 14 developed pursuant to paragraph “a” . 15 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 16 following new subsection: 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 3A. Commencing with the school year 18 beginning July 1, 2024, hunter education based on the model 19 program developed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 66, 20 paragraph “a” , shall be taught in grade six. 21 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, subsection 4, Code 2023, is amended 22 to read as follows: 23 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 24 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 25 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 26 growth and development; career exploration and development; 27 physical education; music; and visual art ; and, commencing 28 with the school year beginning July 1, 2024, hunter education . 29 Computer science instruction incorporating the standards 30 established under section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , 31 subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade level 32 commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career 33 exploration and development shall be designed so that students 34 are appropriately prepared to create an individual career 35 -1- LSB 1496YH (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 73 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 1 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 2 with the six career and technical education service areas 3 as defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , and incorporate 4 relevant twenty-first century skills. The health curriculum 5 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 6 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases, 7 including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent 8 HPV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The state board 9 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 10 definitions for implementing the program in grades seven 11 and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to the 12 teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 13 schools. Hunter education instruction shall be based on 14 the model program developed pursuant to section 256.9, 15 subsection 66, paragraph “a” . For purposes of this section , 16 “age-appropriate” , “HPV” , and “research-based” mean the same as 17 defined in section 279.50 . 18 Sec. 4. Section 256.11, subsection 5, Code 2023, is amended 19 by adding the following new paragraph: 20 NEW PARAGRAPH . m. One-half unit of hunter education 21 commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2024. The 22 one-half unit of hunter education shall be based on the model 23 program developed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 66, 24 paragraph “a” . 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to firearm education in schools, including 29 requiring the director of the department of education to 30 develop and distribute age-appropriate model programs for 31 firearm safety instruction and modifying provisions related 32 to the required instruction in public schools and accredited 33 nonpublic schools in grades 6 through 12. 34 The bill requires the director of the department to develop 35 -2- LSB 1496YH (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 73 an age-appropriate model program for firearm safety instruction 1 by July 1, 2024, for pupils enrolled in kindergarten through 2 grade 12, and distribute the model program to all school 3 districts. The bill also requires the model program for pupils 4 enrolled in kindergarten through grade five to be based on 5 the eddie eagle gunsafe program developed by the national 6 rifle association. The bill encourages school districts to 7 implement such a model program. The bill requires the model 8 program for pupils enrolled in grades 6 through 12 to be based 9 on the hunter education course developed by the national rifle 10 association. 11 The bill provides that, commencing with the school year 12 beginning July 1, 2024, the model program based on the hunter 13 education course for pupils enrolled in grades 6 through 12 14 shall be taught in public schools and accredited nonpublic 15 schools. 16 -3- LSB 1496YH (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 3