NC House panel approves bill to allow handguns at private schools

Yahoo

01-04-2025

(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor)
The North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would allow individuals to carry handguns at private schools, the latest in a growing list of gun proposals this session.
House Bill 193, 'Firearm Law Revisions,' authorizes those with a valid concealed handgun permit (along with those who are exempt from the requirement to have a permit) to possess or carry a handgun on educational property owned, used, or operated by a private school, according to the bill text.
Its primary sponsors are Reps. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), Reece Pyrtle (R-Rockingham), Charles Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover), and Todd Carver (R-Iredell).
McNeely said that while the bill is currently broad, its objective is to allow security guards or others with training to provide reassurance in the event of a shooting at a private school.
'This would allow some of these smaller private schools… to have somebody that they designate to be able to add some layer of protection to them until the law enforcement can get there,' McNeely said.
As worded, the bill would allow anyone lawfully entitled to carry a concealed handgun — including a school official, teacher, or even a student — to carry it on the premises of a private school below the college level, with written permission from the school.
The legislation's impact could expand if either of two pending bills authorizing so-called 'constitutional carry' — Senate Bill 50 or House Bill 5 — were to be enacted into law.
These bills would allow individuals 18 or older to carry concealed handguns without obtaining a permit, a deviation from current law. Senate Bill 50 has passed through the upper chamber and is now in the House, while House Bill 5 awaits another committee hearing in its original chamber.
Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg) asked if the legislation is too broad, given that there are no requirements pertaining to training or background checks.
'What we're hoping is this will allow for security guards who are not able, people who do have training, but they do not fall under law enforcement, to be able to be there on hand and hopefully offer some level of protection,' McNeely said.
The sponsor emphasized that the bill does not circumvent existing concealed carry laws in the state – security guards would need to have permits in order to carry concealed handguns.
Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) pointed out that polling shows the bulk of North Carolina teachers do not favor guns in schools.
'This bill endangers students, it endangers teachers, and people don't want it,' she said. 'You're telling the teachers of North Carolina that we don't really care what you say.'
McNeely responded that the bill is not a requirement. While it allows private schools to employ these security guards, it does not make it mandatory.
The bill also includes a provision that would insulate certain law enforcement-operated shooting ranges from civil liability or criminal prosecution relating to noise or noise pollution.
House Bill 193 now heads to the House Education K-12 Committee for further debate.
The House Judiciary 2 Committee also voted to approve House Bill 301, 'Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16,' moving the measure to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.
This legislation would ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for children between the ages of 14 and 15.