The Florida House passed the measure Wednesday with a final tally of 78-34.
The bill, House Bill 759, lowers the minimum age at which a person may purchase certain firearms in Florida, from 21 to 18. It specifically takes aim at rifles, shotguns, and other long guns.
The proposal, despite not having much success in the Senate chamber, has the support of House Speaker Daniel Perez.
“I wouldn’t go out there on a limb to say its dead in the Senate. I think that’s premature," Perez said Wednesday.
"Obviously, it’s something we’ve passed out of the House for several years now. It’s something I support. You saw today that majority of the membership supports it as well.”
Senate leadership has different views.
Senate President Ben Albritton is on the fence about whether he wants to lower the age restriction.
“I felt like we needed to pump the brakes and let’s keep talking to figure out what that win-win is," Albritton told reporters on Thursday in the Senate Chamber.
The Wauchula Republican said the Senate has temporarily postponed the bill.
WFSU spoke with gun rights advocate Luis Valdes who serves as Florida’s director for Gun Owners of America.
🚨 HUGE WIN for Gun Owners! 🚨
— Luis Valdes (@RealFLGunLobby) March 26, 2025
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
“Gun Owners of America is fired up to see the House pass HB 759, marking the third straight year in a row now that lawmakers have voted to repeal Florida’s unconstitutional under 21 gun purchasing ban," Valdes told WFSU on Thursday.
In his interview, he said former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has stopped the legislation in the past. And he hopes current Senate President Albritton will take a different position.
“Senate President Ben Albritton has a choice," said Valdes. "He can either champion the will of the people and restore their second amendment rights, or he can follow in Passidomo’s footsteps and betray gun owners across Florida."
If the Senate decides not to hear the measure, it would be the third time in a row the House has passed the bill but lawmakers in the Senate declined.
The Senate instead sided with the families and friends of the people killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, who advocated for the rule change following the incident.
