JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Leaders with the Duval County School Board are adopting a new policy to address gun violence in schools.
The resolution, passed at a board meeting Monday night, now mandates that schools send families information about gun safety and storage laws every year.
The policy calls for information to be sent to families that "explains the importance of secure gun storage and the legal obligations to protect minors from accessing irresponsibly stored guns."
Under Florida law, a gun owner who knows that a minor could gain access to their firearm is required to "keep the firearm in a securely locked box or container or in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure or shall secure it with a trigger lock." Violators face a second-degree misdemeanor charge.
The new resolution is a cause for celebration for parent groups that have been working to protect students from gun violence. Moms Demand Action has been advocating for the resolution since last year.
"By passing this resolution, officials in Duval County have demonstrated their commitment to keeping our kids from unsecured firearms," said Katie Hathaway, a volunteer with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action.
"I think anything we do that can help reduce gun violence and crime in our city is helpful," said AJ Jordan, outreach coordinator for the Jacksonville chapter of Mad Dads. "And we all need to be proactive, whether that's the school board, Mad Dads, the news media. Anything we can do to be proactive to help reduce the gun violence in our city. Mad Dads applauds and we thank the school board for being proactive."
Scroll down to read the full resolution passed by the school board.