TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) – The Florida House passed a proposal Thursday that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns.
The House seeks to undo a law passed after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland. Thursday’s bill passed the House by a vote of 74 to 37.
“I view this legislation as the correct public policy for the state and offer it as a way for families and individuals to keep themselves safe by restoring the rights of 18-year-olds to buy long guns,” a supporter said.
Opponents, including Democratic Representative Felicia Robinson, argue the increased minimum age was a crucial part of trying to bolster gun safety after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
“Would it be safe for 18-year-olds where studies show that their brains are not necessarily completely developed to be buying long guns?” Robinson said. “That we know tend to be the guns that are used in our school shootings.”
A Senate bill on the issue has not been filed for the 2026 session.
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