South Carolina H 5353: Firearm Safety Pilot Program

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5353 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 11, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5353

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
59-29-250 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH A 
FIREARM SAFETY PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
59-29-250. (A) The Department of 
Education, in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources, shall 
determine the earliest grade in which it is appropriate for students to begin 
receiving instruction on firearm safety. In determining the earliest 
appropriate grade for instruction on firearm safety, the agencies shall study 
all relevant data and risk factors, including the earliest age at which 
incidents of injury involving firearms are reported and the earliest age at 
which children are susceptible to harm from found firearms.

 (B) 
Beginning with the 2027-2028 School Year, the Department of Education shall 
establish a firearm safety program for which districts or charter schools may 
elect to apply. Priority for involvement in the program must be based on the 
counties with the highest rate of childhood injury or death from firearms. The 
department may limit the number of districts accepted in the program. The 
instruction must begin with the earliest appropriate grade, as determined by 
the agencies under subsection (A), and must continue in each subsequent grade 
through grade twelve.

 (C) 
The instruction required under subsection (B) must:

 (1) 
teach students:

 (a) 
safe storage of firearms;

 (b) 
school safety relating to firearms;

 (c) 
how to avoid injury if the student finds a firearm;

 (d) 
to never touch a found firearm; and

 (e) 
to immediately notify an adult of the location of a found firearm;

 (2) 
be viewpoint neutral on political topics, such as gun rights, gun violence, and 
the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution; and

 (3) 
not include the use or presence of live ammunition, live fire, or live 
firearms.

 (D) 
The Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with the Department of 
Education, shall develop a curriculum or program of instruction on firearm 
safety that meets the requirements of this section and that districts are 
required to implement for purposes of providing the instruction required under 
subsection (B). The agencies may not use a curriculum or program of instruction 
if the curriculum, program of instruction, or any of the instructional materials 
used as part of the curriculum or program of instruction bear a brand or 
organizational affiliation other than the logos of the Department of Education 
and the Department of Natural Resources.

 (E) 
The instruction required under subsection (B) may be provided in a classroom 
setting, through the viewing of a video, or through the review of online 
resources or materials, as determined by the Department of Education.

 (F) 
Each district accepted into the program shall determine how best to incorporate 
the instruction required under subsection (B) into the school year.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on March 11, 2026 at 10:43 AM