Senate Bill No. 117

(By Senators Bailey, Weeks, Ross, Love, Unger, Sharpe, Hunter and Facemyer)

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[Introduced January 10, 2003; 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.