BILL COULD REPEAL FLORIDA GUN BUYING AGE LAW ENACTED AFTER
PARKLAND SHOOTING
As a long-running legal battle continues, a state senator proposed repealing a law that prohibits people under age 21 from buying long guns and
rifles in Florida.
Sen. Randy Fine, of Brevard County, filed the proposal (SB 94) on Tuesday, December 9th, for consideration during the 2025 legislative
session, which will start on March 4th. Fine will also be running in an upcoming special election for a congressional seat.
A similar measure passed in the
House but failed in the Senate during the 2024 session.
Lawmakers and Governor Rick Scott approved raising the minimum age to biy rifles and other long guns in 2018
after the mass shooting at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people.
People under 21 years old are already barred from buying
handguns due to Federal law.
A lawsuit was filed by the National Rifle Association contending that the 2018 law violates Second Amendment rights, however, Chief U.S.
District Judge Mark Walker upheld the age restriction.
The law was also upheld by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but the NRA asked
the full appeals court to consider the case. The issue is currently pending at the Atlanta based appeals court.
After eight years in the House, Fine was
elected to the Senate last month but qualified to run in a special election last week. The special election is being held to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-FL, from Congressional District 6 after President-elect Donald Trump selected Waltz for the National Security Advisor position.
