Idaho § 33-1628

§ 33-1628.

firearms safety education in primary and secondary schools. (1) The board of trustees of a school district is encouraged to establish and maintain an in-person firearms safety education course for primary and secondary school students. The trustees shall adopt an elective course of instruction developed by the department of fish and game, a law enforcement agency, or a national firearms association as its firearms safety education course. Instructors from the department of fish and game, a law enforcement agency or a national firearms association may provide the course instruction.

(2) There is hereby created in the state treasury the firearms safety grant fund, to which shall be credited all moneys both public and private that may be appropriated, allocated, donated, distributed to, or otherwise provided for by law, including moneys distributed pursuant to section 49-420S , Idaho Code. Moneys in the fund shall be used exclusively for educational program grants as provided for in this section. Moneys in the fund shall be continuously appropriated for the purposes of this program. All idle moneys in the fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in a like manner as provided for in section 67-1210 , Idaho Code, with respect to other surplus or idle moneys in the state treasury. Interest earned on the investments shall be returned to the fund.

(3) There is hereby created the Idaho firearms safety education committee. The purpose of the committee shall be to administer the firearms safety grant fund. The committee shall consist of seven (7) members who shall be appointed by the attorney general. The composition of the committee shall include one (1) of each of the following: a member of the Idaho house of representatives, a member of the Idaho senate, a county sheriff, a hunters education instructor, a certified firearms instructor, a certified member of a national firearms association, and a citizen who possesses an enhanced concealed carry permit and who is a parent of an enrolled Idaho public school student. Initial appointments to the committee shall occur on or before October 1, 2025, and the initial terms of the first committee members shall commence on January 1, 2026. Terms of committee members shall be four (4) years. A member may be re-appointed upon the expiration of the member’s term. In the event of a vacancy, the attorney general is authorized to appoint a new committee member to fill such vacancy pursuant to the membership requirements provided for in this subsection. A committee member who is appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the duration of the vacant term. Committee members shall serve on a voluntary basis. There shall be no legislative appropriation of funds for the committee.

(4) The Idaho firearms safety education committee shall meet no less than two (2) times per year. At its first meeting, the committee shall appoint a chair. Thereafter the committee shall establish a process for the orderly transaction of its business and for the timely administration of grants. The committee shall organize itself and be ready to process grant applications and to award grants by July 1, 2026.

(5) The state board of education shall cooperate with the committee to promote the firearms safety grant program. In addition, the state board of education shall establish a process for the receipt of firearms safety grant applications and delivery of such applications to the Idaho firearms safety education committee for consideration.

[33-1628, added 2018, ch. 250, sec. 1, p. 580; am. 2024, ch. 187, sec. 4, p. 679; am. 2025, ch. 132, sec. 3, p. 685.]