Florida lawmakers have advanced legislation that would lower the age to purchase rifles from 21 to 18.
The Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2018 to raise the gun-buying age following the Parkland school shooting.
Second Amendment advocates have fought to scrap the law for years.
BREAKING: Legislation to lower the minimum r*fle purchase age from 21 to 18 passed a Florida House committee recently. pic.twitter.com/COTKKsp0H1
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 16, 2025
Per Spectrum News 13:
The proposal to reduce the purchasing age back to 18 (House Bill 759) is among the more contentious bills of the 2025 legislative session.
“You all put this in place because of what happened at that school,” said Tampa Democratic State Rep. Dianne Hart. “This is a slap in the face of all those families and all the people around this state.”
ADVERTISEMENTA long gun is a broad term describing weapons like a rifle, carbine or shotgun. Florida is among eight states that limit their purchase to people 21 years old and above.
“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 disarms women, disarms our college students, disarms our children,” Gun Owners For America Florida Director Luis Valdes said of the current law.
Cantonment Republican State Rep. Michelle Salzman is the bill sponsor. She’s leading what is now at least the third attempt to repeal the law.
Florida lawmakers are pushing to lower the state's gun-buying age from 21 to 18, reigniting a debate over gun rights and public safety years after the law was enacted in response to the Parkland school shooting.
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) March 14, 2025
Last week, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2018 law banning individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 from purchasing rifles and other long guns.
In an 8-4 decision, the appeals court ruled the law is “consistent with our historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Florida Law Prohibiting Certain Gun Purchases
WUSF reports:
Republicans in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee approved legislation, HB 759, that would allow 18-year-olds to buy long guns, like shotguns and assault rifles.
Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in Parkland with an AR-15-style rifle. He was 19 years old at the time.
Lawmakers raised the long gun-buying age to 21 years old in response, though those younger can still be gifted such weapons with limitations. The restriction does not apply to law enforcement or correctional officers or active-duty military members.
Federal law largely prevents those below 21 from buying a pistol.
ADVERTISEMENTThe House bill still has another committee to go through before it goes to the full chamber for a vote.
