Members of the public shoot guns at a firing range. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
A proposal to lower the age for individuals in Florida to purchase shotguns and rifles from 21 to 18 advanced in its first hearing before a House committee in the 2025 session on Wednesday.
The bill also would allow someone 18 years old or older to purchase a handgun from a private seller. (Federal law prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing a handgun from a federal firearms licensee).
Similar legislation — which would remove a key provision of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act — has passed in the Florida House in the past two legislative sessions, but has been blocked in the Senate.
But the mood in Tallahassee when it comes to this particular law is different this year, as the new leadership in the GOP-controlled Legislature has expressed more interest in supporting a repeal of the law. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been outspoken in wanting to see the prohibition eliminated.
This year’s bill (HB 759) is sponsored by Republicans Michelle Salzman from the Panhandle and Tyler Sirois from Brevard County. As an indication of its strength in the House, it’s co-sponsored by eight additional Republicans and has been assigned to just one other committee before it could make its way to the full chamber for a floor vote.
As has often been the case with the law passed just weeks after 17 people were shot and killed in Parkland, testimony from members of the public and lawmakers was charged with strong feelings.
“Here we are yet again, as concerned members in the community, begging this committee to not pass this bill,” said Andres Cubillos, a graduate student attending Florida State University and member of FSU Students Demand Action. “To some of you, and to some of the people from our community, [the incident at] Marjory Stoneman Douglas was one of the worst days in Florida’s history.”
Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart said the measure was a “slap in the face” to the families who suffered through the Parkland shooting. “We say brains are not developed until you’re 25, but we want to hand 18-year-olds long guns,” she said. “Guns of any kind. Are we not following statistics to see what’s happening with guns? It’s almost as if though we don’t know that these guns are dangerous.”
Second Amendment
Advocates for the repeal, however, argued the law violates the Second Amendment and that it doesn’t make sense to prohibit 18-year-olds from purchasing guns.
“As a father, I want my daughter to be armed when she’s under the age of 21 and she’s living outside of my house and she’s able to protect herself, because right now this [law] disarms women, disarms our college students, and disarms our children,” said Luis Valdes, Florida state president of Gun Owners of America.
“We are messing with the bill of rights, and that’s why we’re having these problems,” added Lake County Republican Taylor Yarkosky.
Responding to criticisms about the maturity of individuals under 21, Rep. Salzman said this cohort is already legally allowed to perform significant responsibilities, such as voting, serving on juries, and enlisting in the armed forces.
South Florida Democratic Rep. Kelly Skidmore, who like every other Democrat on the committee voted against the measure, said she wouldn’t have a problem allowing 18-year-olds to purchase firearms if they have been trained properly.
“I admit, we send 18-,19-, 20-year-olds off to war,” she said. “They’re in the military, where they are trained to use a weapon of destruction. If you’re going to have something as powerful as a gun, in my mind, why wouldn’t we want to teach you how to use it?”
House Speaker Daniel Perez told reporters last week that he was receptive to returning the eligibility age to purchase a long gun to 18 years, while Senate President Ben Albritton said on Wednesday that he was continuing to take a “very cautious approach” to the proposal.
That’s a different stance than former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo took over the past two years, to the extent that no such companion measure was even filed in the Senate last year.
That’s not the case this time around, as a companion measure has already been filed in the Senate by Hillsborough County Republican Jay Collins (SB 920).
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