A bill that emerged after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland may see some changes.
In 2018, the state increased the age limit to 21 for purchasing a rifle or long gun. However, the Florida House recently approved a bill to lower the age back to 18.
This isn’t the first time the House has pushed for such legislation. This type of bill to lower the age to 18 passed the House in 2023 and 2024; however, it never made it out of the Senate, and it’s still unclear if it will make it this go-round.
Rep. Dan Daley, D-Coral Springs, who graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, reflected on the tragic events of Feb. 14, 2018, when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered the school and killed 17 students and faculty members.
“In a matter of minutes, a 19-year-old walked into my high school and killed 17 and wounded 17 more,” Daley said.
This mass shooting prompted then-Gov. Rick Scott and the state legislature to pass a law requiring Floridians to be 21 to purchase a rifle or long gun.
However, in a 78-34 vote on Wednesday, the Florida House approved a bill to lower the age limit to 18. Daley was among those who voted against it.
“It’s literally in the age range and gun category we are discussing today. Is that unusual? No. Most school shooters are 18 or 20 years old with a long gun. It’s facts,” Daley said.
When the law was passed in 2018, the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit claiming the new law was unconstitutional. The law was ultimately upheld.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola. In a statement, she explained her reasoning for filing the bill.
“The ability to purchase and utilize a firearm is your constitutional right, and reinstating those rights is the right thing to do for Floridians,” Salzman said. “We must stop infringing on the constitutional rights of law-abiding adults who are old enough to serve in our military and make other significant life decisions.”
Even though the bill was approved by the House, the Senate will also have to approve the proposal before it could go to the governor.
