Students could soon hit the books to learn about hunting safety, under a measure currently moving through the Senate. House Bill 3462 would give school districts the option to include hunting safety classes in their curriculum as a unit of instruction on hunting education.
The plan would require the State Board of Education to prepare and distribute instructional materials that may be used as guidelines for development of classes teaching hunting education.
Current Illinois law requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1980, to present a valid Hunter Education Certificate of Competency issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Safety Education Division or another state before being issued a hunting license.
Many states are now requiring adult hunters to furnish evidence of having completed a hunter education course prior to issuance of a non-resident license. An Illinois Hunter Safety Education certificate is accepted by all other states.
The plan, which unanimously passed out of the House of Representatives, and is currently on 2nd reading in the Senate after clearing a Senate committee earlier this week.