The Iowa House has sent the governor a bill that will let teachers and other school staff volunteer to carry a gun at school if their school board approves.
“Time and math do not lie. The first 30 seconds in these (active shooter) scenarios are extremely critical,” Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, said. “This bill does set a high standard for staff that want to participate in this and go the extra mile to protect our kids.”
Under the bill, armed school staff must get a professional permit that requires training in active shooter scenarios as well as quarterly testing of how well they shoot a gun. Some Iowa districts had developed plans to have armed staff, but could not get insurance. The bill extends liability protection once armed staff acquire professional permits.
Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, said that means families cannot sue if an adult with professional permit accidentally shoots their child, “or a curious student finding a gun and accidentally injuring other children.”
The Senate approved the same bill last week and one Republican senator indicated 20 school districts hope to implement the policy if the governor approves the bill.