Senate Bill No. 150
(By Senators Bailey and Love)
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[Introduced January 10, 2002; referred to the Committee
on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section eight-a, article two,
chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to mandating
an orientation program in firearms and firearms safety in
public schools; and specifying course requirements.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight-a, article two, chapter eighteen of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-8a. Course of study in firearms and firearm safety.
The state board of education may shall, with the advice of
the state superintendent of schools and the director of the
division of natural resources, prescribe an orientation program for use in grades seven through nine of the public schools of
this state in the safety of firearms. The orientation program
shall be offered over a two-week period during the school year
and shall deal with the protection of lives and property against
loss or damage as a result of improper use of firearms. The
orientation program shall also include instruction about the
proper use of firearms in hunting, sport competition and care
and safety of firearms in the home and may utilize materials
prepared by any national nonprofit membership organization which
has as one of its purposes the training of people in
marksmanship and the safe handling and use of firearms. The
county superintendent may shall arrange for such the orientation
program in the safety of firearms and its use in each school in
the county.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the State
Board of Education to prescribe an orientation program in
firearms and firearms safety in the public schools of this state
with the advice of the Division of Natural Resources.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.