Education; public schools; annual instruction on firearm safety; Department of Education; Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training; effective date; emergency.

The document header was updated to reflect the 'Floor Version' status and included additional co-authors from the Senate, while the core legislative text and policy provisions were preserved unchanged.

Changed the requirement for schools to 'shall annually provide' firearm safety instruction to 'may annually provide', making the program optional rather than mandatory.

Changed the language regarding when instruction must begin from 'shall be required' to 'may be provided', allowing schools to decide the earliest appropriate age and grade.

Modified the viewpoint neutrality rule to list 'gun rights' and 'gun violence' as separate topics, rather than grouping them with the Second Amendment.

Changed the language regarding when instruction starts from 'shall begin' to 'may begin', giving districts the option to start age-appropriate instruction earlier than the determined grade level.

Updated the opt-out provision to clarify that schools must notify parents of the 'required instruction' even though the instruction itself is now optional for the school.

Changed the requirement for firearm safety instruction from optional ('may') to mandatory ('shall').

Expanded the required curriculum for grades 6-12 to explicitly include instruction on the Second Amendment and gun violence.

Updated the effective date in the emergency clause to July 1, 2026, aligning with the new mandatory start date.

Changed the document title from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute'.

Changed the requirement for firearm safety instruction from mandatory ('shall annually provide') to permissive ('may annually provide').

Removed the mandate for CLEET to determine the earliest appropriate grade for instruction, giving that authority to individual schools instead.

Narrowed the required curriculum for Kindergarten through 5th grade from five specific topics to only four, removing the requirement to teach students 'how to avoid injury if the student finds a firearm.'

Changed the opt-out provision from a general requirement for all schools to a specific requirement only for school districts that choose to require the instruction.

Removed the requirement for instruction to be viewpoint neutral on political topics such as gun rights and gun violence.

Changed the timing of instruction from beginning at the grade level determined by CLEET to beginning at the grade level determined by the school, with the option to start earlier if appropriate.

Changed firearm safety instruction from optional to mandatory for all public schools starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

Removed the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training's authority to determine the earliest appropriate grade for instruction.

Changed the notification process so schools must notify parents and offer an opt-out option before providing instruction, rather than after a district decides to require it.

Changed the requirement for schools to begin instruction at the grade level determined by the Council, removing the option to start earlier if appropriate.

Removed the provision allowing schools to provide alternative educational activities to students whose parents opted them out of the instruction.

Changed the requirement from 'shall' provide instruction to 'may' provide instruction, making the program optional for school districts.

Swapped the lead agency; the Department of Education no longer leads the consultation, and the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) now consults with the Department of Education.

Added specific curriculum requirements based on grade level: basic safety for K-5 and safe handling/storage for grades 6-12.

Added an opt-out provision allowing parents to remove their students from the instruction if a district decides to require it.

Changed the start date logic from a fixed earliest grade determined by the Department to allowing schools to begin instruction earlier than the CLEET-determined grade if appropriate.