Bill Reducing Training Hours for Teachers to Carry Firearms Moves to Governor DeWine's Desk

The governor is expected to sign the bill into law.

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(Columbus, Oh.) – Ohio lawmakers have passed a bill that will significantly reduce the training hours needed for adults to carry a gun in schools.

The Senate voted 23-9 in favor of House Bill 99, while the House pushed the bill to Governor DeWine’s desk with a vote of 56-34.

The legislation establishes the Ohio School Safety Crisis Center and the Ohio Mobile Training Team to develop a curriculum and provide instruction and training for adults to carry a firearm in schools.

“The curriculum, instruction and training shall follow the private investigator and security guard firearms training guidelines,” reads the bill.

Initial instruction and training shall not exceed 24 hours, while annual requalification training will not exceed eight hours. Under current law, adults must complete 728 hours of training to carry on school grounds.

Governor DeWine is expected to sign House Bill 99 into law. He released the following statement:

“Last week I called on the General Assembly to pass a bill that would allow local school districts, if they so chose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety. My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training. House Bill 99 accomplishes these goals, and I thank the General Assembly for passing this bill to protect Ohio children and teachers. I look forward to signing this important legislation.”

On another gun related note, the state of Ohio will lift its conceal carry permit requirements on June 13.

The new law will allow Ohioans age 21 and older who are legally eligible to own and carry a firearm to do so without a license.

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