Legislature passes hunter education bill
Schools to offer hunter education courses to students in grades 5-12
4:15 p.m. March 19, 2026
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
A bill that would allow Tennessee public schools and charter schools to offer hunter education courses to students in grades 5 through 12 is headed to Gov. Bill Lee for final approval after winning final legislative approval on Tuesday, March 17.
The legislation, SB 2369 / HB 2588, would let school districts and public charter schools offer hunter education as part of physical education, health, or safety instruction. Any course offered would have to be approved by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
According to the fiscal analysis, Tennessee schools already are required to offer physical education, health education, and lifetime wellness courses under standards set by the State Board of Education. State law already requires schools to provide age-appropriate, grade-appropriate firearm safety instruction beginning with the earliest appropriate grade.
The measure was backed by a coalition of conservation and sporting groups, including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.
State analysts said schools that choose to offer hunter education could likely do so at little additional cost by using TWRA-certified instructors and free instructional materials already available online.
The fiscal note said school districts, charter schools, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Education could handle any needed policy or curriculum changes within existing resources.
If Lee signs the bill, Tennessee schools would gain the option to offer hunter education to students in grades 5 through 12 as part of existing instruction.
TWRA offers a free, in-person hunter education course for volunteer instructors. To earn certification, participants must complete at least eight hours of instruction, pass a written exam, and take part in either a live-fire session or a firearm-handling demonstration.
2026 Hunting Calendar
• The 2026 Young Sportsman spring turkey season is scheduled for April 4-5. This special weekend hunt is open to youth ages 6-16, who must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. The limit is one bearded turkey per day, which counts toward the overall spring season bag limit of two.
• Spring Turkey (General): April 11-May 24
• Spring Squirrel: May 9-June 14
• Fall Turkey (Shotgun/Archery): Opens Oct. 10
• Deer Young Sportsman: Opens Oct. 31
• Deer Muzzleloader/Archery: Opens Nov. 7
• Deer Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery: Opens Nov. 21
