HOUSE BILL 324

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Mark Duncan and Jonathan A. Henry and Rebecca Dow

and Rod Montoya

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE ANNUAL FIREARM SAFETY TRAINING; PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRAINING; ASSIGNING POWERS AND DUTIES TO THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] ANNUAL FIREARM SAFETY TRAINING--REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS--DEPARTMENT DUTIES.--

          A. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, each school district and charter school shall provide annual firearm safety training to students in sixth through twelfth grade; provided that a school district or charter school may provide the training to students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

          B. Firearm safety training shall be developed or otherwise approved by the department and the department of public safety. At minimum, the training shall:

                (1) be developmentally and age-appropriate for the grade in which the training is provided;

                (2) cover the following topics:

                     (a) safe storage of firearms;

                     (b) school safety issues related to firearms;

                     (c) if applicable, protocols for young children who find a firearm, including: 1) how to avoid injury upon finding a firearm; 2) never touching a found firearm; and 3) immediately notifying an adult upon finding a firearm; and

                     (d) if applicable, protocols for teenagers and young adults who find or have access to firearms;

                (3) be viewpoint-neutral on political and legal issues related to firearms and the right to keep and bear arms; and

                (4) be a non-shooting training that does not include the use or presence of live ammunition, live fire or live firearms.

          C. If the department and the department of public safety approve a firearm safety training provided by a private person, the training shall not use branded content affiliated with a commercial or nonprofit organization.

          D. The department and the department of public safety may approve a firearm safety training that is provided in a classroom setting, by video or through the review of physical or digital resources or materials.

          E. Each school district and charter school shall determine how to incorporate the training into the school year."

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