Missouri Legislature Approves Bill Allowing Armed ‘Rangers’ in Schools
Missouri lawmakers approved legislation creating armed “Missouri Rangers” for schools with Marine-level fitness standards and combat training requirements.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — Missouri lawmakers have approved legislation allowing schools to hire armed guards called “Missouri Rangers” with physical fitness standards described as “superior to a U.S. Marine,” sending the measure to the governor’s desk as the legislative session concludes.
The bill, sponsored by Republican state Sen. David Gregory of Chesterfield, introduces a new category of school protection officers who could carry firearms on school grounds. Gregory stated he wanted to provide schools “a choice to have a higher trained armed guard.”
He criticized current protection-officer requirements, comparing them to a “Walmart guard with a gun.”
Training and Fitness Requirements
The proposed Missouri Rangers would undergo up to 160 hours of training, including instruction in “close quarter combat,” bomb and arson training, and de-escalation techniques. This exceeds the current minimum of 112 hours required for school protection officers under Department of Public Safety rules.
Before training, ranger applicants must pass rigorous physical fitness tests. Those 35 and younger must “complete a minimum of 40 pushups in less than one minute” and run one and a half miles in less than 12 and a half minutes. The legislation directs the state’s Peace Office Standards and Training Commission to establish lower standards for older applicants.
Currently, Missouri schools can designate teachers and administrators as school protection officers, allowing them to carry guns or “self-defense spray devices” with proper training and concealed carry permits. The state also employs school resource officers, who are law enforcement personnel with an additional 40-plus hours of school safety training.
Legislative Path and Opposition
The measure initially faced little resistance during its first Senate passage, earning support from groups including the St. Louis County Police Association during committee hearings. In early April, only two senators voted against the proposal.
However, opposition grew as the bill returned to the chamber last week with less than a day remaining in the legislative session. Senate Democrats unanimously opposed the measure during the final vote, though it still received enough support to pass.
The legislation now heads to the governor’s office, where it awaits a signature to become law. If enacted, Missouri schools would have the option to hire these specially trained rangers as either paid employees or volunteers to enhance campus security.
