Republican lawmakers in Florida have filed bills in both the House and Senate seeking to repeal a state law that prohibits individuals under 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns. The proposed legislation, filed this week, would lower the minimum age for buying such firearms back to 18.
Senator Jay Collins (R-Tampa) and Representative Michelle Salzman (R-Pensacola) introduced the identical bills, SB 920 and HB 759, respectively, for consideration during the upcoming legislative session, which begins March 4.
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The current restriction on rifle and long gun sales to those under 21 was enacted in the wake of the February 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which resulted in 17 deaths.
The shooter, then 19 years old, used a semi-automatic rifle in the attack. The law was passed by the Legislature and signed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Federal law already prohibits individuals under 21 from purchasing handguns.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) immediately challenged the constitutionality of the Florida law, and the case is currently pending before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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This is not the first attempt to roll back the age restriction. The Florida House passed a similar bill last year, but it did not receive approval in the Senate. Senator Randy Fine (R-Brevard County) has also filed a separate bill (SB 94) seeking to eliminate the law.
Fine will be leaving the Senate at the end of the year. The renewed legislative effort signals a continued push by some Florida Republicans to restore the minimum age for rifle purchases to 18, despite the ongoing legal challenge and the circumstances that led to the law’s initial passage.
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