20102684D<br><center><b>
SENATE BILL NO. 129
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Offered January 8, 2020
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Prefiled December 17, 2019
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<i>A BILL to amend and reenact &sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-204.1">22.1-204.1</a> of the Code of 
 Virginia, relating to public schools; firearm safety education program.</i>
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Patron-- Norment
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Referred to Committee on Education and Health
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<p>Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:</p>
 
 
<p>1. That &sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-204.1">22.1-204.1</a> of the Code of Virginia is amended and 
 reenacted as follows:</p>
 
 
<p>&sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/22.1-204.1">22.1-204.1</a>. Firearm safety education program.</p>
 
 
<p>Local school boards<s class=str> may</s><i class=new> shall</i> provide firearm safety 
 education programs for students in<s class=str> the elementary 
 school</s><i class=new> all</i> 
 grades.<s class=str> To assist local school boards electing to provide 
 firearm safety education programs, the</s><i class=new> 
 The</i> Board<s class=str> of Education</s> 
 shall<i class=new>, in consultation with the Department of Criminal 
 Justice Services,</i> 
 establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized program of firearm safety 
 education<s class=str> for the elementary 
 school grades</s> to promote the protection and safety of<s class=str> children</s><i class=new> 
 students</i> enrolled in the public schools. The curriculum 
 guidelines shall incorporate, among other principles of firearm safety, 
 accident prevention and the rules upon which the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program 
 offered by the National Rifle Association is based. Local school boards<s class=str> electing to provide firearm safety education</s> 
 shall offer<i class=new> a minimum of two 
 hours of</i> instruction<s class=str> pursuant to</s><i class=new> that is consistent with</i> the 
 Board's curriculum guidelines and shall integrate firearm safety education into<s class=str> appropriate subject areas, if feasible, to ensure 
 that every elementary grade student completes the course of study in firearm 
 safety education</s><i class=new> any family life 
 education program offered 
 by the school board</i>.<i class=new> For 
 any grade or school division for which a family life education program is not 
 offered, such instruction 
 shall be integrated into other subject 
 areas or provided as a separate program. Such firearm safety 
 education program shall 
 be taught by a school resource officer or 
 other law-enforcement officer 
 or by a 
 United States Armed Forces instructor. No firearms shall 
 be used in such firearm safety 
 education program.</i></p>