Teachers as volunteers in 'Guardian' program can carry guns to classroom in Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will allow more classroom teachers to carry guns in school, a response to last year's mass shooting at a Parkland high school. DeSantis signed the bill in private Wednesday and issued no statement. It was one of the more contentious bills of a legislative session that ended Saturday.

The measure expands an existing school "guardian" program and allows any teacher to volunteer to carry a weapon if their local school district approves. Volunteers must undergo police-style training and a psychiatric evaluation.

Under current law, only teachers who also have another role such as sports coach are eligible to carry weapons on campus. The bill makes other changes to a school safety law enacted after 17 people were killed in February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

(With inputs from agencies.)