FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Gov. Asa Hutchinson will sign the bill allowing faculty and staff at colleges and universities to carry concealed handguns on campus, his spokesman said Monday (March 2).
Upon final legislative approval, the governor will sign the bill, said J.R. Davis, spokesman.
House Bill 1077, dubbed the professor-carry bill, was approved in the House on Monday by a 66-25 vote. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.
“I’m happy that professor carry passed the House, moving us one step closer to helping further protect our loved ones on campus,” the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, said Monday.
The bill would allow universities and colleges to require 16 hours of active-shooter training for licensed faculty and staff who want to carry a concealed handgun on campus. This training would be in addition to what all Arkansans receive in obtaining a concealed-carry license. However, university and college boards would have to vote in favor of the additional training for that requirement to take effect.
After his professor-carry bill stalled last month in the House Education Committee, Collins amended the measure, allowing universities and colleges to vote on requiring additional training. The amended version was then approved in the education committee.
Current state law allows a college or university board of trustees to opt out of allowing faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns.
HB1077 would not allow universities and colleges to opt out of the professor-carry law.
