Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford
Filed: 4/4/2014
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1 | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 590
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 590 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||||
5 | 27-17.5 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/27-17.5 new) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 27-17.5. Firearm safety education program. | ||||||
8 | (a) School boards may provide firearm safety education | ||||||
9 | programs for students in the elementary school grades. To | ||||||
10 | assist school boards electing to provide firearm safety | ||||||
11 | education programs, the State Board of Education shall | ||||||
12 | establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized program of | ||||||
13 | firearm safety education in the public schools. The curriculum | ||||||
14 | guidelines shall incorporate, among other principles of | ||||||
15 | firearm safety, accident prevention and the rules upon which | ||||||
16 | the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program offered by the National Rifle |
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1 | Association of America is based. School boards electing to | ||||||
2 | provide firearm safety education programs shall offer | ||||||
3 | instruction pursuant to the State Board's curriculum | ||||||
4 | guidelines and shall integrate firearm safety education into | ||||||
5 | appropriate subject areas, if feasible, to ensure that every | ||||||
6 | elementary school student completes the course of study in | ||||||
7 | firearm safety education. | ||||||
8 | (b) The curriculum guidelines established by the State | ||||||
9 | Board of Education under subsection (a) of this Section shall | ||||||
10 | provide background information on gun use and the consequences | ||||||
11 | from the misuse of guns in our country and in this State. This | ||||||
12 | information is intended to enhance the instructor's | ||||||
13 | understanding of the context for facilitating the curriculum | ||||||
14 | lessons. | ||||||
15 | (c) The curriculum under this Section must be designed as a | ||||||
16 | single unit of instruction for each grade. In developing the | ||||||
17 | curriculum: | ||||||
18 | (1) Background information, lesson guidelines and | ||||||
19 | plans, suggested scripts for teachers with discussion | ||||||
20 | points, and student materials must be a part of each | ||||||
21 | lesson. | ||||||
22 | (2) Lessons must be aligned with specific Illinois | ||||||
23 | standards of learning for each grade. | ||||||
24 | (3) Instructors must be provided general suggestions | ||||||
25 | for using teachable-moment opportunities. These | ||||||
26 | suggestions may include expanding students' understanding |
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1 | of the difference and similarities between real and toy | ||||||
2 | guns, unintended consequences, and an introduction to the | ||||||
3 | student code of conduct and gun offenses. | ||||||
4 | (4) The consequences of gun violence and personal | ||||||
5 | responsibility for gun safety in the community must be | ||||||
6 | introduced. | ||||||
7 | (5) In each lesson, a character (to be created by local | ||||||
8 | youth) must be present as a safety mascot. This character | ||||||
9 | must be used to reinforce the message that if a student | ||||||
10 | sees a gun, "leave it alone, leave the area, and let an | ||||||
11 | adult know". | ||||||
12 | School boards shall develop procedures for instructors to | ||||||
13 | assist students who may disclose sensitive information during a | ||||||
14 | lesson. | ||||||
15 | In addition to what to do if a student were to find a gun, | ||||||
16 | kindergarten through second-grade lessons shall assist | ||||||
17 | students in recognizing professionals who use guns for safety | ||||||
18 | reasons and individuals who safely use guns for sporting | ||||||
19 | activities and third through fifth-grade lessons shall | ||||||
20 | continue to focus on what to do if a student were to find a | ||||||
21 | gun. ".
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