Sponsors (11)
The bill extends federal gun-free zone protections to early childhood and preschool programs to better protect young children and educators, but it expands federal enforcement reach—raising prosecution risk, compliance uncertainty for small providers, and potential taxpayer costs.
Children and families using early childhood education programs and preschools gain explicit federal firearm-free zone protections, reducing the risk of firearms on those premises and improving safety for young children.
Teachers and staff at covered early childhood and preschool programs are explicitly covered by federal gun-free zone protections, giving educators clearer legal protection and recourse when incidents involve firearms.
Individuals who possess firearms near expanded covered sites may face increased federal criminal prosecutions as the definition of protected locations is broadened.
Small, private, or home-based early childhood providers may be confused about whether and how federal gun-zone rules apply to them, creating compliance uncertainty and administrative burden for those providers and parents.
Expanding the scope of federal protections could increase enforcement and prosecution costs for the Department of Justice and federal courts, raising taxpayer-funded legal and administrative expenses.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds early childhood education programs and eligible preschools to the federal Gun‑Free School Zones Act definition of “school.”
Official title: To expand the Gun Free School Zones Act, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 8, 2026 by Suhas Subramanyam · Last progress June 8, 2026
Expands the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act definition of “school” to explicitly include early childhood education programs and preschools as defined in the Higher Education Act. The change broadens the locations where federal prohibitions on possessing firearms near schools apply, without creating new funding or program requirements.