State Rep. Parker Fairbairn on Wednesday voted to allow schools to offer firearm safety programs.

“Like most northern Michigan residents, I’ve loved the outdoors for as long as I can remember,” said Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs. “My brother and I attended hunter’s safety, years ago, and we still enjoy hunting together and with our dad. I’m proud to support legislation that will allow schools to offer students the opportunity to take hunter’s safety. Opening these pathways to the outdoors will help preserve Michigan’s hunting heritage and traditions and get thousands of young people into the woods to create life-long memories with their families and friends.”

House Bill 4285, co-sponsored by Fairbairn, would create an elective firearm safety program that would be available to all schools. The program would be developed by the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Course materials would include proper usage and handling of firearms, safe cleaning and maintenance of firearms, as well as safe hunting practices.

Instruction under the program would need to comply with the requirements of the DNR’s safe firearm handling standards and would have to be taught by a DNR certified hunter-education instructor.

Local school boards would have the option of offering the course as part of their physical education classes or as an optional extracurricular class. Anyone can opt out of the firearm safety instruction without penalty or loss of academic credit.

If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed into law by the governor, hunter’s safety programming in schools could begin this fall.

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