Is this the year Florida restores the rights of 18-year-olds to purchase long guns?

A proposal to lower the minimum age for purchasing shotguns and rifles in Florida from 21 to 18 passed its first hearing in a House committee on Wednesday. The bill also allows those 18 or older to buy handguns from private sellers, though federal law still prohibits those under 21 from purchasing handguns from licensed dealers.

This legislation, which seeks to repeal a provision of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act, has passed the House in previous years but stalled in the Senate. Senator Randy Fine, R-Melbourne Beach, has filed a similar bill (SB 94) to reduce the age limit for buying rifles from licensed dealers. Fine argues that if an 18-year-old can enlist in the military and carry a rifle, they should also be able to purchase one.

The 2018 law, passed after the Parkland shooting, made it a felony for licensed dealers to sell rifles or shotguns to those under 21, with exceptions for law enforcement, military, and corrections officers. Fine’s bill does not change the federal handgun purchase age of 21.

In 2023, a similar bill (HB 1223) passed the House but lacked Senate support. Most states allow 18-year-olds to buy long guns, while Florida is one of eight with a 21-age requirement.

Fine, who is resigning from the Senate to run for Congress, emphasized the inconsistency between allowing private firearm transactions and preventing purchases from licensed dealers.

Opponents, including gun control advocates, argue the bill undermines public safety. However, supporters claim it upholds Second Amendment rights and point out that 18-year-olds already take on significant responsibilities like voting and military service. Fine’s proposal has gained more traction this year, with Senate Bill 920 filed by Sen. Jay Collins as a companion measure.