A new bill could punish parents if their child brings gun to school
ALABAMA (WHNT) — House Bill 103, introduced Tuesday, states that a parent or legal guardian could be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor if their child unlawfully possesses a firearm on public school property.
Lawmakers agree that gun safety efforts need to be a priority, but the two parties disagree on how it should be enforced.
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House Minority Leader Representative Anthony Daniels said the bill could be useful in reminding parents of the importance of securely storing a gun at home.
'We've got to do a better job of protecting our weapons,' Daniels said. 'Making certain that our children don't have easy access to it, so it could serve as a wake-up call to parents.'
Daniels emphasized the urgency of more gun safety after several tragedies across the country.
'A lot of times these kids have gotten these weapons from their parents,' Daniels said. 'You end up losing so many precious lives as a result of it.'
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Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl sits on the other side of the aisle regarding this bill. He said you cannot blame a second party for an individual's actions.
'We need to teach our children how important it is that they are respectful for any tool or firearm or vehicle or for anything that could be dangerous to another person,' Wahl said. 'You can't hold one person guilty for another person's actions.'
Wahl added that he believes lawmakers should focus more on prevention rather than punishment.
'It does not actually accomplish the root goal which is bringing down crime and bringing down these tragedies,' Wahl said. 'It only addresses them after they happen.'
The bill does make exceptions, one being for firearms left in students' vehicles.
Daniels said that each instance of a child with a parent's gun should be handled on a case-by-case basis and that it's possible the parent did everything right.
Wahl said the bill, as it stands, leaves too much uncertainty in the burden of proof and could lead to a 'slippery slope' in the law.
BamaCarry, Inc., a statewide gun rights organization, sent News 19 a statement on their opinion of the bill.
'HB103 is another example of government over reach. In essence it saysyou will educate your child and store your possessions in the manner wedictate or you will be punished. Each instance is different. No blanketbill will cover all situations.
A six year old manages to bring a B-B gun to school for show and tellthat was a Christmas gift versus a 16 year old that brings a firearm toschool with malicious intent, or as in the past, students in rural areascarried various firearms to go hunting after their school day had ended.These situations are quite different and would require differentactions by authorities. This bill does not allow for that.
Our time would be better spent by parents educating their children onproper handling of firearms instead of trying to pass alarmistlegislation as in bill HB103.
For the reasons states, BamaCarry opposes this bill.'
Linda McKinney, BamaCarry, Inc. President
The bill is currently with the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. If passed, it will go into effect Oct. 1, 2025.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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