HBA-DMH C.S.H.B. 2656 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2656 By: King, Phil Public Safety 4/12/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE With firearms present in many American households, young children should be aware of basic gun safety to help prevent accidents. Young children must be taught that guns are not toys and must know what to do should they find a gun. A program is available through the National Rifle Association for use in classrooms, youth programs, summer camps, and day care centers nationwide. The Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program that uses the message "Stop! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult." has reached more than 12 million children since 1988. C.S.H.B. 2656 requires a peace officer who is a visiting school resource officer in a public elementary school to offer to provide firearm accident prevention information to students and to use the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program's safety message. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 2656 amends the Occupations Code to require a peace officer who is a visiting school resource officer in a public elementary school to offer to provide, at least once each school year, instruction to students in a firearms accident prevention program, as determined by the school district. The bill establishes a safety message for a firearms accident prevention program, which must include the safety message, "Stop! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.", and may include instructional materials from the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, including animated videos and activity books. The bill provides that a peace officer who is a visiting school resource officer in a public school must be a licensed peace officer. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2656 differs from the original bill by including a definition of "school resource officer" and requiring the officer to offer to provide, rather than to provide, instruction to students in a firearms accident prevention program. The substitute also requires the officer to offer to provide such instruction at least once each school year.