Toward the end of March, the Florida House of Representatives voted to lower the minimum age for purchasing long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, from 21 to 18. In effect, the House voted to repeal substantial portions of a law — SB 7026 — enacted after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
The “Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or Transfer” (HB 759) was passed on March 26, 2025, by a 78-34 vote, with all 78 “yea” votes coming from Republicans and 34 Democrats against this bill.
While Gov. Ron DeSantis supports the repeal bill, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain.
Despite passing in the House, a similar Senate bill, “Firearms Purchase or Transfer” (SB 920), has yet to be heard in committee. Senate leaders are divided on the issue, with some calling for further debate on the matter.
Governor Ron DeSantis has openly expressed his support for repealing age restrictions, eliminating red-flag laws, and permitting open carry. “Those are things that a lot of us have been talking about for a long time,” DeSantis stated during the opening day of the 2025 legislative session.
On March 5, 2025, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 21-year-old age restriction in a lawsuit challenging the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, ruling that the law “does not violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments” as it aligns with the historical tradition of firearm regulation.
“From the Founding to the late-nineteenth century, our law limited the purchase of firearms by minors in different ways. The Florida law also limits the purchase of firearms by minors. And it does so for the same reason: to stop immature and impulsive individuals, like (the Parkland shooter), from harming themselves and others with deadly weapons. Those similarities are sufficient to confirm the constitutionality of the Florida law,” the opinion highlighted.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, however, has refused to defend the law if it is challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court. Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Uthmeier to succeed former Attorney General Ashley Moody following her appointment by DeSantis to the U.S. Senate.
“Men and women old enough to fight and die for our country should be able to purchase firearms to defend themselves and their families,” Uthmeier declared on social media.
The Senate companion bill, SB 920, has stalled thus far. Senate President Ben Albritton (R) manifested his reservations about the bill’s passage:
“I felt like we needed to pump the brakes and let’s keep talking to figure out what that win-win is.”
Despite pressure from pro-gun organizations groups such as Gun Owners of America, SB 920 has not received a committee hearing as of April 3, 2025. Luis Valdes of Gun Owners of America lauded the Florida House’s passage of the bill, exclaiming, “The Florida House just PASSED HB 759! But the fight isn’t over. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn. SB 920 MUST get a vote!”
HUGE WIN for Gun Owners!
The Florida House just PASSED HB 759!
But the fight isn’t over.
Now, it’s the Senate’s turn. SB 920 MUST get a vote!
Call Sen. Jonathan Martin NOW: (850) 487-5033
Demand he brings SB 920 to the floor! No excuses!@GunOwners never quits! pic.twitter.com/9mBQ3dYTr9
— Luis Valdes (@RealFLGunLobby) March 26, 2025
The Senate’s inaction reflects intra-party Republican tensions, with moderate lawmakers wary of revisiting gun policies ahead of the 2026 elections. Such internal tensions are longstanding. For example, the Florida House passed SB 7026 on March 7, 2018, with a 67-50 vote.
Of the 67 representatives who voted for this gun control bill, 57 were Republicans. Democrats largely opposed this bill, at the time, on the grounds that it was not radical enough in terms of how it infringed on gun rights. By the same token, the Florida Senate passed SB 7026 with a 20-18 vote. 20 out of the 23 Republican senators voted in favor of the gun control bill.
Although the current partisan makeup of the Florida Senate (28 Republicans to 12 Democrats) favors gun owners on paper, the aforementioned internal divisions within the Florida Republican political class does not guarantee HB 759 bill’s passage.
About José Niño
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. You can contact him via Facebook and X/Twitter. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter by visiting “Jose Nino Unfiltered” on Substack.com.
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