LANSING — A bill that would present Michigan schools the option of offering hunter safety programs for sixth through 12th grades has passed in the Michigan House.

House Bill 4285 passed Wednesday with overwhelming support, 101-7, with two not voting. Among those supporting the bill were state Reps. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, and Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock.

“Hunting heritage runs deep in the Upper Peninsula,” Bohnak said in a news release. “However, in recent years, fewer and fewer people have taken up the tradition and become hunters. If we can equip students with the training they need to be hunters, maybe we can reignite a love of the outdoors in kids throughout the U.P. and across Michigan.”

The bill creates an elective firearm safety program that is accessible to all schools, with the program being adopted by the Michigan Department of Education in consultation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The course would teach proper usage and handling of firearms, maintenance and cleaning of firearms, an understanding of different types of firearms and safe hunting practices.

The course would be taught by DNR-certified hunter-education instructors, with school boards having the option of offering the course as part of physical education or an optional extracurricular class. Students can be excused from attending it without penalty at their own request or the request of their parents or guardians. Firearms or ammunition would not be able to be brought into a school building as part of the program.

Markkanen said in a statement that he sees this as an opportunity for more students to gain access to hunter safety.

“The U.P., I think we got the best-case scenario because we have sportsmen groups from east to west and north to south, and the majority of them take care of the training out at the clubs,” Markkanen said. “They have ranges out there, and they do it safely, and get the kids through the class. (In) downstate Michigan, that’s not always the case. So we wanted to all kids to have options through schools, to get trained up and get their gun safety permit and be able to go out and hunt.”

Markkanen pointed to the dropping numbers of hunters throughout Michigan and said he believes this program could be a way to increase student interest in the outdoors.

“We want numbers to go up across the U.P. It’s good for the environment and the wildlife. Money gets spent and it gets families together over generations — grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins together. Hunting camps used to be a big part of the social fabric across the U.P., and they’re starting to fade. And we want to bring it back.”