What's happening
This bill prohibits public schools in New York from offering marksmanship or shooting programs, including activities with firearms, air guns, or bows.
Why it matters
Removes firearm safety instruction from public school curricula. , shifting the focus to conservation and hunting laws only, which could reduce students' exposure to gun safety education in an academic setting.
Broadly bans all school-sponsored shooting sports. , including those involving air guns, bows, and crossbows—not just traditional firearms—potentially ending long-standing extracurricular activities like archery and rifle teams.
May impact students’ access to competitive marksmanship opportunities. , which can be pathways to scholarships, college admissions, or even Olympic-level sports, particularly affecting rural and sports-oriented communities.
Reflects a policy stance prioritizing school safety and gun control. , signaling a legislative response to concerns about guns and weapons in educational environments, and possibly influencing similar measures in other states.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban School Shooting Programs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10428
IN ASSEMBLY
April 20, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs in public schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 809-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 442 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
§ 809-a. Instruction in [the safe use of firearms] conservation and in the game laws. The officer, board, or commission authorized or required to prescribe courses of instructions in any school under state control, may authorize instructions to be given in the [safe and proper use of firearms allowed by law to be used in the taking of wild game, and may also authorize instructions to be given in the] study of game laws and of proper hunting and conservation practices, provided that firearms are not used by students or discharged on school grounds. Such courses of instruction shall be approved by both the education department and the department of environmental conservation.
§ 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 809-b to read as follows:
§ 809-b. Prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs. 1. No public school shall offer marksmanship and/or shooting programs.
2. For purposes of this section, marksmanship and/or shooting programs shall include any competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in using various types of ranged weapons, such as firearms and air guns, in forms such as handguns, rifles and shotguns and/or bows or crossbows.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15310-02-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.