BILL REQ. #:  H-1380.1 

Read first time 02/06/09.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to firearms safety education programs; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction, within existing resources, shall develop a program of instruction for firearms accident prevention for students in kindergarten through grade twelve.
     (a) The program of instruction developed under this subsection shall include the safety message, "Stop! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult."
     (b) The program of instruction may include instructional materials from the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program developed by the national rifle association.
     (2) Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, all common school districts may adopt the firearms accident prevention program developed by the superintendent of public instruction under this section to instruct students in kindergarten and through grade twelve in the content area addressed by the curriculum. A school district may provide additional instruction that supplements the program established by the superintendent of public instruction.
     (3) A school district shall excuse a student from instruction regarding firearms accident prevention if the student's parent or guardian provides the district, the student's teacher, or the administrator of the student's school with written notice that the parent or guardian wants the student to be excused from the instruction provided under this section. If a student is excused from participating in the instruction, the student shall not be academically penalized.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.