School districts would have to offer a firearm safety course to 7th - 12th graders under a bill advancing in the Iowa House. Districts would also be encouraged to cover firearm safety for K-6 graders using curriculum based on the Eddie Eagle program, which was developed by the National Rifle Association.
Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, supports the proposal. He says that schools wouldn’t have to offer in-person classes on campus to meet the requirement.
“All the schools have to do is offer an option, and I believe NRA has an online option, so the schools wouldn't need to. Now, they could if they wanted it and we're going to leave that up to them.”
A similar measure considered two years ago failed to advance.
Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, voted against the bill and says the decision to offer firearm safety classes should be left to local control.
The bill is now headed to the House Public Safety Committee.