Tuesday, April 12, 2005
SB1271 signed
The wailing sound you hear from the south west is the Brady Bunch fretting over the latest bill to be signed into law by Governor Janet Napolitano: Senate Bill 1271, which is now Title 15, chapter 7, article 1, section 15-714.01 of the Arizona Revised Statutes :
My prediction is that the program will catch on in small, rural districts like Wickenburg (home of the Wickenburg High School rifle team) or Buckeye, home of my favorite shotgun team, long before it becomes available in the "big" cities of Phoenix and Tucson. These smaller districts already have students who are interested in taking the course and teachers who have been hoping for the chance to teach it. I certainly hope that I'm wrong, though. I'll be doing my best to get it started at the local high school in time for my kids to take the class.
Who knows.....I may end up teaching it.
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15-714.01. Arizona gun safety program courseYou may have noticed that this does not mention funding for this program at all, but I'm not really that worried about it. The entire Arizona Game and Fish Department is funded through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, fees and fines collected from hunters and fishermen, and grants from community programs. If there is a market for this program, the money will be found somewhere.
A. IN ADDITION TO THE VOLUNTARY TRAINING IN THE USE OF BOWS AND FIREARMS PRESCRIBED IN SECTIONS 15-713 AND 15-714, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHARTER SCHOOL MAY OFFER AS AN ELECTIVE COURSE A ONE-SEMESTER COURSE IN FIREARM MARKSMANSHIP THAT SHALL BE DESIGNATED AS THE ARIZONA GUN SAFETY PROGRAM COURSE.
B. A PUPIL SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED THE ARIZONA GUN SAFETY PROGRAM COURSE BY DEMONSTRATING THAT THE PUPIL HAS THE ABILITY TO SAFELY DISCHARGE A FIREARM.
C. THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION PRESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE JOINTLY DEVELOPED BY THE ARIZONA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND PRIVATE FIREARMS ORGANIZATIONS AND MAY INCLUDE MATERIALS PROVIDED BY PRIVATE YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. AT A MINIMUM, THE ARIZONA GUN SAFETY PROGRAM COURSE SHALL INCLUDE:
1. INSTRUCTION ON THE RULES OF GUN SAFETY.
2. INSTRUCTION ON THE BASIC OPERATION OF FIREARMS.
3. INSTRUCTION ON THE HISTORY OF FIREARMS AND MARKSMANSHIP.
4. INSTRUCTION ON THE ROLE OF FIREARMS IN PRESERVING PEACE AND FREEDOM.
5. INSTRUCTION ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ROOTS OF THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.
6. INSTRUCTION ON THE USE OF CLAY TARGETS.
7. PRACTICE TIME AT A SHOOTING RANGE.
8. DEMONSTRATION OF COMPETENCE WITH A FIREARM.
D. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS SHALL ARRANGE FOR ADEQUATE USE OF SHOOTING RANGE TIME BY PUPILS IN THE ARIZONA GUN SAFETY PROGRAM COURSE AT ANY ESTABLISHED SHOOTING RANGE.
E. PUPILS WHO SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE THE ARIZONA GUN SAFETY PROGRAM COURSE SHALL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
F. INSTRUCTORS SHALL BE CERTIFIED BY THE ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT.
G. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT OR EXPAND THE LIABILITY OF ANY PERSON UNDER OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW.
My prediction is that the program will catch on in small, rural districts like Wickenburg (home of the Wickenburg High School rifle team) or Buckeye, home of my favorite shotgun team, long before it becomes available in the "big" cities of Phoenix and Tucson. These smaller districts already have students who are interested in taking the course and teachers who have been hoping for the chance to teach it. I certainly hope that I'm wrong, though. I'll be doing my best to get it started at the local high school in time for my kids to take the class.
Who knows.....I may end up teaching it.
_
