Utah lawmakers have passed a bill that would fund training for teachers on how to safely carry guns in the classroom and take down an active shooter, according to the Daily Mail.
If signed into law, House Bill 119 will launch the Educator-Protector Program, which would fund programs to train teachers on how to defend their students in the event of an attack.
According to the Mail, the program would cost the state approximately $100,000 a year and would begin training teachers on May 1 how to safely carry, load, unload, and store firearms.
Utah's Republican-controlled House reportedly voted to approve the measure along party lines last week. It now heads to Gov. Spencer Cox's desk.
The governor, who is a Republican, has not yet indicated if he will sign the bill, but told reporters on Friday that he is "very worried about school safety" and supports arming and training school employees so they can "respond very quickly if the worst does happen."
Teachers who hold a valid concealed carry permit could take part in annual defense training for free under the legislation.
Instructors would be appointed by county sheriffs and participating teachers would be expected to retake the course each year.
GOP Rep. Tim Jimenez, the bill's main sponsor, told The Associated Press it is a "strictly defensive" measure that will help teachers who already own guns but can't afford training.
"What we're looking at here isn't having teachers running around the hallways trying to act like police officers," Jimenez said. "What we're going to be training them to do specifically is how to defend their classroom, gym, or whatever room they happen to be in with the students."
Utah state law currently allows people to carry guns on school property if they hold a concealed carry permit or have received permission from school administrators, the AP reported.
The Beehive State is one of 16 that allows school staff to carry firearms in K-12 schools.
Participating teachers will be shielded from civil liability if they fire their weapon at school while "acting in good faith" and without gross negligence, according to the bill. School districts also cannot be found liable if a teacher in the program discharges their gun.
Not everyone is in favor of the legislation, however.
In a statement to the Mail, the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah said, "We disagree with money being taken from our education fund to support gun training."
"Our teachers need every penny of that money for education," the statement read. "We encourage every gun owner to get ongoing training, but it shouldn't come out of Utah's education funding. Additionally, the amount of training offered in this program is wholly inadequate to prepare teachers for an encounter with an active shooter. It doesn't even offer live fire training."
"Law enforcement trains monthly with simulated high stress situations, and even they sometimes struggle to be effective in these incidents," it continued. "The idea of a 'highly trained' armed teacher is a myth. Expecting teachers with significantly less training to respond to violent incidents effectively is unrealistic and potentially dangerous."
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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