Following the death of a six-year-old who was shot by a 14-year-old at an elementary school in September, a legislator in South Carolina is drafting a new bill to allow teachers to carry firearms while at school, according to a WSPA news report.
The bill is being drafted by South Carolina Representative Joshua Putnam. It would allow teachers to apply for a special type of concealed weapons permit (CWP) that would allow them to carry firearms at schools.
[sc name=”Article Mobile Ad” ]
Putnam is drafting the bill so that the permit would voluntary. And it would include a provision for school superintendents and principals to vote for allowing their teachers to participate in a new training class specifically for teachers.
If the bill becomes law, the class would be administered and taught by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Putnam envisions that the CWP class for teachers would include the same kind of training for active shooter situations that law enforcement officers receive.
The bill aims to only allow teachers who pass the training class to be eligible for the special CWP license. The bill would also require teachers to keep their firearms holstered and concealed at all times.
Putnam’s bill is scheduled for pre-filing on December 15.
