Proposed Ohio Bill Would Lessen Training Requirements For Armed Teachers

The Ohio State Senate is considering a bill that would decrease the training requirements to be armed on school property, according to FOX 8.

House Bill 99 would allow schools to choose whether staff can be armed within a school safety zone. It would also change the training requirement from 750 hours to 20 hours.

Representative Thomas Hall, the bill's sponsor, believes that 750 hours of required training is neither “realistic” nor “practical.”

“750-plus hours is not a realistic or practical requirement for full-time staff to complete in order to simply keep our students and educators safe,” Hall said in a press release.

In addition, the bill says a school board must notify the public if they allow staff to be armed, and an employee must compete concealed carry weapon (CCW) training, but Ohio will no longer require CCW training as of June 13.

“At the end of the day, what we are talking about here is empowering our local schools to make the best decision for their students and educators so that our children feel safe and are safe in Ohio schools,” Hall said. “We have worked tirelessly on this bill to do our part in protecting our schools and our communities.”

House Bill 99 is currently awaiting a second committee hearing in the Senate.