101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3825
 
Introduced , by Rep. Allen Skillicorn
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



New Act

 Creates the Firearm Safety Curriculum Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school district may include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on firearm safety and accident prevention for all students in the first grade; specifies what the course must include. Provides that each student who attends the course must be tested on the curriculum after completion of the course and must be given educational materials to take home to his or her parent or guardian. Provides that if a school district offers the course, it must provide written or electronic notice of the course to each parent or guardian of a student in first grade no later than 7 days before the course is scheduled to occur. Provides that a parent or guardian may elect, through written or electronic communication, to have his or her child not attend the course. Effective July 1, 2020.



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A BILL FOR
 


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1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
5Firearm Safety Curriculum Act.

6 Section 5. Definition. In this Act, "school district" means 
7any school district or charter school governed by the School 
8Code. 

9 Section 10. Firearm safety and accident prevention course. 
10 (a) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school 
11district may include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on 
12firearm safety and accident prevention for all students in the 
13first grade. The unit of instruction may be offered each school 
14year and, if offered, must be at least 30 minutes in duration. 
15The course may be offered during recess to enable students who 
16are not participating in the course to leave the classroom.
17 (b) If a school district offers a unit of instruction under 
18this Section, the course must be taught by an instructor 
19certified under Section 80 of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act 
20and licensed under Article 21B of the School Code. The unit of 
21instruction must include all of the following:
22  (1) The proper steps a student must take upon 
 
 
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1 encountering an unsecured firearm.
2  (2) The differences between video game violence and 
3 real-life violence.
4  (3) The dangers of confusing toy guns and real guns.
5  (4) An anti-bullying component that emphasizes 
6 de-escalation and adult intervention.
7 Instruction for the course must be nonpolitical and may not 
8encourage or discourage possession or ownership of firearms. At 
9no time may any real firearm or live ammunition be used or 
10possessed during the course. Each student who attends the 
11course must be tested on the curriculum after completion of the 
12course. A student who attends the course must be given 
13educational materials to take home to his or her parent or 
14guardian. The educational materials must address the 
15importance of repeatedly thinking about firearm safety and 
16accident prevention and safe storage practices for firearms in 
17the home.
18 (c) A school district that offers a unit of instruction 
19under this Section must provide written or electronic notice of 
20the course to each parent or guardian of a student in first 
21grade no later than 7 days before the course is scheduled to 
22occur. A parent or guardian may elect, through written or 
23electronic communication, to have his or her child not attend 
24the course and may request a copy of the educational materials 
25provided to students who attend the course under subsection 
26(b).

 
 
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1 Section 90. Rules. The State Board of Education may adopt 
2rules to implement this Act.


3 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
42020.