Bill to protect funding for hunting, gun safety classes passes Senate unanimously

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTAJ) — U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA) bill unanimously passed the Senate protecting funding for hunting and gun safety education classes.

With the bill passing, it will reverse the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) guidance prohibiting the use of certain federal education funding for archery, hunting and gun safety classes and extra-curricular programs in schools.

The ED interpreted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BCSA) in a way that prevents schools from using federal funding, something that both Democrats and Republicans were against.

“This is a victory for Pennsylvania, where hunting is one of our longest and proudest traditions. School archery and hunting education programs are essential to families who pass their traditions of hunting white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and more down from generation to generation,” Senator Casey said. “I’m pushing back against the Biden Administration’s misguided decision and I’ll keep working to protect funding for this educational programming and preserve the Commonwealth’s hunting culture.” 

Casey was joined by U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to introduce the bill as a way to compel the Biden administration to reverse its decision. The U.S. House of Representatives passed this legislation 424-1 and the bill now heads to President Biden’s desk.

According to the press release, Casey recently joined bipartisan groups of his colleagues to call on the ED to change the guidance and to request that Senate Appropriators include language to permit hunting education in the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill.

The BSCA passed in June 2022 and is a “commonsense gun safety legislation”, according to Casey, to protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, increase mental health support and reduce the threat of violence across the country.