SB 53: Department of Public Safety; establishment of a program to educate the public on safe storage of firearms, contingent upon funding; provide

Georgia law currently has no dedicated program teaching the public about safe firearm storage. This bill would add a new section to the state code authorizing the Department of Public Safety to create such a program, but only if the General Assembly appropriates money for it or other funding, including federal funds, becomes available. The program could cover topics like state laws on storing firearms and preventing children under 18 from accessing them. The department could work with the Department of Education to create materials for distribution in schools. The bill specifically allows the department to accept federal funds from Congress or executive order for this purpose, but makes clear that doing so would not commit any state money or obligate the legislature to keep funding the program afterward.

• Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 35-2-17) letting the Department of Public Safety run a public education program on safe firearm storage.
• Makes the program contingent on the General Assembly appropriating state funding or on the department receiving other funding for the purpose.
• Allows the program to cover firearm storage laws and information on keeping firearms away from people under 18.
• Authorizes the department to coordinate with the Department of Education to create school distribution materials on firearm storage best practices.
• Permits the department to accept federal funds from Congress or an executive order, while specifying that doing so does not commit state money or bind future legislatures.

The Department of Public Safety, which would run the program if funded; the Department of Education and Georgia schools, which could receive and distribute storage-safety materials; and the general public, including gun owners and families with children, who could access the educational information.

If funded, Georgia families and gun owners could get state-produced guidance on storing firearms safely and keeping them from children, and schools could distribute related materials. Because the program depends entirely on future funding, its actual creation is not guaranteed by this bill alone.

• Section 1 adds new Code section 35-2-17 to Title 35, Chapter 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, covering the Department of Public Safety.
• The program's creation is expressly conditioned on 'appropriations by the General Assembly or receipt of other funding for such purpose.'
• Program content may include laws on firearm storage and preventing access by people under 18, though the list is not exhaustive.
• The department may coordinate with the Department of Education to develop and distribute storage-safety materials in schools.
• The department may accept federal funds for the program, but such funds cannot commit state money or require the General Assembly to continue funding it.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision.

1. 2025-01-29Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-01-28Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)

• gun safety
• firearm storage
• public safety
• school safety
• state funding