Florida Rep. Michelle Salzman (FL-District 1) filed a bill on Wednesday that would lower the minimum age for a person to buy or sell a firearm.
House Bill 759 aims to lower the legal age to purchase a gun from 21 to 18 in the State of Florida.
The bill aims to roll back a provision enacted in 2018, which raised the minimum age to 21 following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 people were killed.
That measure was part of a broader group[ of gun reform laws signed by then-Governor Rick Scott in response to the shooting.
If passed, the bill would align Florida’s gun laws with federal regulations, which allow licensed firearm dealers to sell rifles and shotguns to individuals 18 and older, but restrict handgun sales to those 21 and up.
However, Florida’s current law remains stricter than the federal standard, requiring buyers to be at least 21 to purchase any firearm.
A separate bill, Senate Bill 814 , was filed on Tuesday by Florida Sen. Randy Fine (FL-District 19) that would allow students to carry guns on college and university campuses across the state.
According to the Florida Senate website, the bill is slated to take effect on July 1, 2025, pending legislative approval.
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