state of michigan

103rd Legislature

Regular session of 2025

Introduced by Reps. VanderWall, Borton, Fairbairn, BeGole, Pavlov, Beson, McFall, Steele, Tisdel, Kuhn, Fox, Jenkins-Arno, Wortz, Martin, Neyer, Prestin, Bohnak, Cavitt, Markkanen, Schriver, Bierlein, Alexander, Hoadley, Mueller, DeSana, Rigas, Wozniak, Bruck, Kunse, DeBoyer, Greene, Johnsen, Outman, Aragona, Harris, Green, Young, Woolford, VanWoerkom, Steckloff, Conlin, Brixie, O'Neal, Slagh, Thompson and Linting

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4285

AN ACT to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled "An act to provide a system of public instruction and elementary and secondary schools; to revise, consolidate, and clarify the laws relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for the organization, regulation, and maintenance of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to prescribe rights, powers, duties, and privileges of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to provide for the regulation of school teachers and certain other school employees; to provide for school elections and to prescribe powers and duties with respect thereto; to provide for the levy and collection of taxes; to provide for the borrowing of money and issuance of bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; to establish a fund and provide for expenditures from that fund; to make appropriations for certain purposes; to provide for and prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to provide for licensure of boarding schools; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," (MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1163a.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 1163a. (1) By not later than September 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with the department of natural resources, shall adopt and make available to schools a model program of firearm safety instruction for students in grades 6 to 12. The instruction must comply with the requirements of the safe firearm handling course provided by the department of natural resources under section 43543 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.43543, and must be taught by an individual who has been certified as a hunter education instructor by the department of natural resources. The firearm safety instruction must include, but is not limited to, the following topics:

(a) Proper usage and handling of firearms.

(b) Safe cleaning and maintenance of firearms.

(d) Safe hunting practices.

(2) Firearms or ammunition must not be brought into a school building as part of the firearm safety instruction.

(3) The board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy may provide the firearm safety instruction as an optional extracurricular class for any pupil in grades 6 to 12 in the school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy, or may provide the firearm safety instruction as part of an existing course for the purpose of teaching self-expression and enjoyment of recreational activity.

(4) Upon request from a pupil or the pupil's parent or legal guardian, the pupil must be excused, without penalty or loss of academic credit, from attending the firearm safety instruction.

(5) A pupil who completes the firearm safety instruction is considered to have completed the hunter safety course required to obtain a hunting license under section 43520 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.43520.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved___________________________________________

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Governor