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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 28, 2012 10:59 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Gregory S. Lucas |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | school personnel- Right to Carry |
| All of us are saddened by the horrific events at a school in Connecticut, when a madman killed innocent, defenseless children. There is, obviously, a desire to find a way to prevent any tragedy like this in the future. As a new legislator from Northwestern Pennsylvania, I believe I bring a unique perspective to questions about these shootings. My home town, Edinboro, saw something similar back in 1998. A student brought a gun to a school dance. Three people were shot. One of them, a friend of mine, died of his wounds. What prevented more deaths on this horrible occasion? An armed private citizen who, using his own gun, stopped the shooter. There are numerous examples of this across the nation, where armed citizens offered protection for others when a madman attempted to go on a killing spree. As we consider ways to improve school safety, I believe we have to consider trusting school personnel to serve as a first line of defense. We trust them to protect our children every day. I think we need to offer them the tools to carry out that sacred trust. In the upcoming session, I will be introducing legislation to allow school personnel to carry a gun to school if they have been licensed to carry a concealed firearm AND have a current and valid certification in the use and handling of firearms. The current and valid certification would have to be issued under one of the following: (1) 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D (relating to municipal police education and training). (2) The act of February 9, 1984 (P.L.3, No.2), known as the Deputy Sheriffs' Education and Training Act. (3) The act of October 10, 1974 (P.L.705, No.235), known as the Lethal Weapons Training Act. (4) The act of December 13, 2005 (P.L. 432, No. 79), known as the Retired Law Enforcement Identification Act. (5) Any other firearms program that has been determined by the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police to be of sufficient scope and duration as to provide the participant with basic training in the use and handling of firearms. I would like to ask you to join me and allow teachers who go to the effort to receive the appropriate training, including current and retired police officers, to protect our kids. |
Introduced as HB122