LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Next school year, students and parents will receive a take-home pamphlet on safe firearm storage. The education program is called ‘Safe Homes, Safe Schools’ and was signed Wednesday by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The packets will be created by Michigan’s Department for Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The goal is to spread the word about the 2024 law that requires any firearm to be locked in a safe or with a gun lock when children are or reasonably could be present, at home or in a vehicle.
One of the bill’s authors, Representative Sharon MacDonnell, called the legislation a straightforward and evidence-based solution. Data from the FBI shows that 70% of the firearms used in school shootings were taken from parents or a family friend. MacDonnell said child access prevention, or safe storage laws like these have been proven to prevent tragedies.
starting next school year, the MDHHS will provide the documents to all Michigan schools, public and private, in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Schools will be required to hand them out yearly for kids to take home.
