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Senators’ bill ensures the Administration correctly follows her Bipartisan Safer Communities law
WASHINGTON – Following passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate today passed Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act – sending the bipartisan legislation to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
The Senator’s bipartisan bill – introduced with fellow authors of Sinema’s Bipartisan Safer Communities law, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) – ensures the Administration correctly follows guidance in the law and allows students to continue educational enrichment programs and activities, such as archery and hunting safety education.
“Congress did its job – we came together and passed the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to make our communities safer – but the Administration failed to do its job and follow our law as it was written. We shouldn’t have to pass more laws just to tell the Administration to do their job – but here we are – we’re holding the Administration accountable, ensuring accurate interpretation of our law, and allowing students in Arizona and across the country to continue enjoying school-based hunting and archery programs as our law intended,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Safer Communities law.
Sinema’s legislation comes after the U.S. Department of Education misinterpreted a provision of the Bipartisan Safer Communities law and created confusion whether federal funds can be used to support archery, hunting safety education, and other extracurricular activities. Sinema’s Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act makes clear that federal funds may be used to support these programs that help Arizona students learn and grow.
In September, joined by a bipartisan group of Senators, Sinema urged the Senate appropriators to direct the U.S. Department of Education to follow the law. Sinema, also joined by bipartisan colleagues, separately urged the U.S. Department of Education to change its guidance. With her Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, Sinema is ensuring the Administration follows her law and clarifies any misinterpretation from the Administration.
In the wake of the May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Sinema formed a bipartisan group of solutions-focused Senators and led negotiations on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – historic legislation breaking nearly 30 years of Congressional inaction by investing in community and school violence prevention and mental health services.