SC H5353

Establishes a voluntary firearm safety pilot program administered by the South Carolina Department of Education starting in the 2027-2028 school year, with priority given to counties with the highest rates of childhood firearm injury or death

Requires the Department of Education and Department of Natural Resources to determine the earliest appropriate grade for instruction based on injury data and risk factors, with instruction continuing through grade 12

Curriculum must teach safe firearm storage, school safety, and how to respond if a student finds a firearm (never touch it, immediately notify an adult)

Instruction must be viewpoint neutral on political topics such as gun rights, gun violence, and the Second Amendment, and cannot include live ammunition, live fire, or live firearms

Curriculum must be developed jointly by the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Education and cannot bear any brand or organizational affiliation other than those two agencies' logos