House Bill 177

AN ACT TO CREATE THE SCHOOL PROTECTION ACT; TO AUTHORIZE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO HAVE ACCESS TO A HANDGUN AT SCHOOL PROVIDED CERTAIN LICENSING, TRAINING AND CONDITIONS ARE MET; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "The School Protection Act."

SECTION 2. School administrators are authorized to have access to a handgun at the school where they are employed. In order for a school administrator to have such access to a handgun, the school administrator must have a federal firearm license, must be licensed under Section 45-9-101 to carry a concealed weapon and must successfully complete an instructional course in the safe handling and use of firearms offered by an instructor certified by a nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training, or by any other organization approved by the Department of Public Safety. The handgun must be a caliber greater than .38 and only exploding ammunition which prevents ricochet may be in the hangun. The handgun must stay locked in a biometric gun safe in the school administrator's office and only administrators trained and licensed as provided in this section shall have access to the handgun. The handgun may be retrieved and used only in instances when students and other persons at the school are in immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.