Requires the department of education, with the department of safety, to develop a mandatory age-appropriate firearm safety training curriculum taught annually in all public schools grades K-12 starting in the 2027-2028 school year, with a parental opt-out.
requiring firearm safety education in all public schools.
HB1830 would require firearm safety education in all New Hampshire public schools, integrated into health, physical education, or civics curricula. The small handful of supporters in this sample argue such instruction builds respect for firearms and improves safety, while the overwhelming majority of submitters oppose the bill, arguing that gun safety is the responsibility of parents and adult gun owners rather than schools, that it is an unfunded mandate on already-strained districts, and that classroom firearms training could normalize guns or increase risk rather than reduce it.
A supporter argues that teaching children the true power of firearms builds respect for that power and helps counter reckless handling, framing the mishandling of guns rather than the tool itself as the real danger.
Submitters argue that responsibility for firearm safety belongs to the adults who own and purchase guns, not to children or schools, and that safety training should instead be required of adults at the point of gun purchase or licensing.
“Firearm safety is — and must remain — the responsibility of adults, not students.”
— Heather Grant, Dover · #543209 — read full submission →
“Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. New Hampshire should require safety training before all gun purchases, not burden children with the responsibility.”
— Kara Hafez, Exeter · #551507 — read full submission →
Many submitters object that the bill provides no state funding or support for implementation, adding another burden to school districts that are already struggling with tight budgets and rising property taxes.
“Another unfunded MANDATE!!! The bill provides no additional funding or support.”
— Lynn McRae, Lyme · #540969 — read full submission →
“I don’t have high confidence that the state will pay for implementation or teacher training, no the state will tell districts to pay, making this an unfunded mandate.”
— Bridget Detollenaere, North Hampton · #551161 — read full submission →
Some submitters contend that teaching children firearm handling could increase curiosity or overconfidence around guns, and that there is no credible evidence such classroom training reduces accidental shootings.
Submitters argue that curriculum decisions, including whether to teach firearm safety, should be left to local school boards and parents rather than mandated by the state.
Some submitters object specifically because the bill references the NRA-developed Eddie Eagle program, characterizing it as commercial or ideological promotion rather than genuine safety education.
Rather than firearms training for children, some submitters urge lawmakers to pursue safe storage requirements, background checks and other gun regulations, or expanded mental health support in schools.
Educators and others argue that schools lack time and capacity to add firearms instruction on top of existing academic and support demands.
Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.
When are we going to learn that when we give someone else basic human rights, it doesn't lessen yours? It's not pie. If you don't want to get "gay" married, the next time a gay person proposes to you, say no.
I oppose this bill.
I oppose this bill.
I refuse to touch a gun, and I would be appalled if my child had mandatory training on a firearm!
You will be usurping parental rights by requiring all children to learn about hunting.
Bring guns into schools is the stupidest idea I've ever heard.
Introducing the gun culture in schools!
This is not the responsibility of children.
Firearm safety is the responsibility of adults, not kids. New Hampshire should require safety training before all gun purchases, not burden children with the responsibility. Public health studies show existing programs to be ineffective for teaching children safety skills to reduce gun play.
What are we doing here? If this law passes, the NH Department of Education will develop the curriculum to train K-12 firearm safety. Really? The same department that won’t help districts pay to educate its children? I don’t have high confidence that the state will pay for implementation or teacher training, no the state will tell districts to pay, making this an unfunded mandate. All this while Republican leaders are trying to force budget caps on school districts and expand EFAs which takes away public school funds and gives to mostly religious and private schools. A clear violation of both the U.S. and N.H. Constitutions. Will parents be allowed to opt out of this curriculum? I believe gun safety training is the responsibility of gun owning parents, not the school. So much more I could say, but I leave that for others. I vehemently oppose this bill.
Totally absurd waste of school time. While we should be encouraging gun safety, we should not require students to learn about hunting and wildlife "management" in order to graduate!!!
While I value firearm safety and understand the importance of education, this mandate crosses a line by shifting responsibility away from parents and placing it on young children and public schools. Teaching safe firearm handling is a family matter and should reflect the values, beliefs, and readiness of each household—not a state-enforced curriculum applied uniformly to children as young as five. Gun safety begins at home, and adults—not schools—should be held accountable for secure storage and responsible ownership. Instead of requiring unproven school-based programs like the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe curriculum, which research shows is ineffective outside of controlled settings, we should encourage parents to take a more active role in education and secure storage practices.
Tax dollars should not be used for gun safety courses. That is an individual right to own guns and thus the responsibility for safety of those guns fall unto the individual.
This bill would bring the responsibility of firearm safety to children when it is the responsibility of ALL Adults. Instead of focusing on school kids, this bill should focus on ANY adult who wishes to purchase or own a gun.
Educating our children on the safe use of firearms is important to the safety of our children. To know the true power of a firearm and to create respect for this power will show our children that the firearms are no reckless tools that cause death. It will show them that those who handle firarms.in that manner is the true issue.
Although firearms safety and training are important, they should not be a required part of the curriculum.
There are other places for students to learn firearms safety and I don't favor teaching it to all students as a requirement.
This bill is waste of the general court's time. ITL this bill.
Mandatory gun training in classrooms is a horrible idea on so many levels. First of all, the data on this proves that it doesn't work. Kids exposed in classroom to trainings do NOT behave in a manner that makes them safer in real life. Secondly, asking teachers to displace curriculum to make room for an NRA program is obscene. Would we do the same for Kelloggs, in the name of "morning cereal training"? it's advertising for a product, turning our school kids into customers and it's disgusting.
There is no reason that firearms safety needs to be taught in public schools. This is something that parents should be responsible for at home. As an educator, I barely have time in the day/school year to teach the required academic curriculum. There is just not enough time in the day, and it's not something that schools should need to be responsible for. More focus should be spent on developing curricula and providing support and services for students' mental health.
We do not need to be paying a private company to do firearms education that may potentially have a political aim. We can't afford to provide basic services to students, and our education funding is at crisis level with schools at the brink of closure due to rising healthcare costs, etc. Please do not mandate another cost to our towns.
NH should require safety training before all gun purchases. This is not the responsibility of our kids.
Education hours are already at a premium and this can be handled on an extracurricular basis for those interested.
I recently retired after being a public school teacher in Nh for over 39 years. I oppose this bill. Children do not need exposure to more gun issues in school. If I may, perhaps they could use more mental health supports.
Firearms safety should be the responsibility of parents, not the schools. The fact that we have to teach firearm safety is ridiculous on its face. It is too easy to access firearms and we in New Hampshire enable easy access. Teaching firearm safety in public schools will only encourage the use of firearms among those under 18. One has to have a license to drive a car which requires testing --- the same should apply to the purchase of firearms where safety classes must be passed.