HELENA — The House is again changing its mind on a measure dealing with guns at school, essentially leaving the law as it currently stands.

The chamber rejected House Bill 384 in a final 53-45 vote Wednesday. The bill sponsored by state Rep. Jerry O’Neil, R-Columbia Falls, would have ended the requirement for automatic suspension for students accused of bringing guns onto school property.

The House had approved that measure a day earlier.

The bill originally would have allowed students to have guns on school property if they were locked in their vehicles. That version was rejected last week.

“Of course I’m disappointed,” O’Neil said Wednesday. “I wanted to encourage shooting sports in schools and get rid of ambiguity.”

He said the bill was amended with his consent to remove the portion allowing guns to be kept locked in cars at schools. With that amendment, he was surprised it was defeated on a final vote when it passed on the first floor vote.

“I don’t know what the hangup was,” he said.

The chamber endorsed another gun rights measure Tuesday that says medical patients are not required to say whether they own or possess guns in order to receive services. Supporters argued such information could be used to track gun owners.