Heinrich Protects Funding for School Hunting & Archery Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced final passage of the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, legislation he cosponsored to protect access to educational enrichment programs and activities such as archery and hunting safety education under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The legislation now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
“I helped negotiate the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to improve public safety and deliver commonsense gun reforms. That included strengthening criminal penalties for firearm trafficking and delivering important resources to help schools reduce gun violence. It was never intended to cut educational resources for sportsman and archery programs, which teach important safety lessons and personal responsibility,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to help pass this legislation today to make sure this generation and the next can access these critical learning opportunities.”
Background:
The Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to ensure that the prohibition of use of federal education funds for certain weapons does not apply to the use of such weapons in extracurricular programs such as archery, hunting, other shooting sports, or culinary arts.
The legislation builds on a recent bipartisan letter Senator Heinrich led with 17 of his Senate colleagues urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act as Congress intended and restore federal funding for educational activities like hunting and archery.
Senator Heinrich also led a letter with 16 of his Senate colleagues urging the leadership of the Senate Committee on Appropriations to clarify that school districts may continue to use their ESEA funding to provide educational enrichment programs and activities, including hunting, outdoor, archery, and culinary education, in the FY24 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
