The Florida House Judiciary Committee advanced HB 1223, a bill to repeal the 2018 prohibition on adults aged 18–20 from purchasing rifles and shotguns, last Tuesday.
That restriction was packed into the so-called “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act” that was passed into law in 2018. This massive gun-control package passed with significant Republican support in the wake of the Parkland tragedy.
While this is a welcome step toward restoring Second Amendment rights, gun owners know better than to celebrate early. The bill now heads to the House for a full vote and, if passed, the State Senate, where it faces a familiar roadblock.
The Senate Bottleneck: Passidomo and Albritton
For years, meaningful pro-gun reforms have died quiet deaths under the leadership of outgoing Senate Presidents Kathleen Passidomo (2022–2024) and Ben Albritton (2024–2026). Both are termed out at the end of the 2026 session.
- In 2023, then-President Passidomo personally blocked efforts to add Open Carry to Florida’s landmark Constitutional Carry law.
- Floridians only regained the right to Open Carry this fall after a state appeals court struck down the ban as unconstitutional in September 2025.
With Passidomo and Albritton on their way out, many senators are suddenly far more open to sponsoring and advancing strong Second Amendment legislation. That shift creates a rare window of opportunity.
Where Things Stand Right Now
Florida Gun Rights Executive Director Logan Edge recently spent time in Tallahassee meeting with legislators and hunting for a Senate sponsor to usher the under-21 repeal bill across the finish line in the state senate.
While no commitment was made that day, Edge noted the conversations were noticeably more receptive than in years past.
With a new president and a fresh committee structure set to take over, senators are paying closer attention to just how many voters care about gun rights right now.
What This Means for Florida Gun Owners
Repealing every piece of the Parkland-era gun control package (the under-21 ban, the “Red-Flag” Gun Confiscation law, the three-day waiting period on long guns, etc.) will still be an uphill fight.
But seeing two of the most anti-gun Republican leaders in recent memory ride into the sunset is undeniably good news.
The following months are critical. Gun owners must keep the pressure turned up to:
- Pass the repeal of the military-aged gun ban this session.
- Lay the groundwork for full repeal of “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation and other pro-gun priorities.
- Send an unmistakable signal to every state senator eyeing leadership positions that Florida Republicans win elections by defending, not ignoring, the Second Amendment.
How Florida Gun Rights Is Fighting for You
FLGR staff have been in Tallahassee virtually every week this interim, meeting with legislators, aides, and leadership staff.
We are actively:
- Pushing companion legislation to repeal Florida’s “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation law
- Defending the recent Open Carry victory from the Gun Control Lobby’s legislative attacks to restrict it
- Working to secure Senate sponsorship for the under-21 purchase ban repeal
- Collecting tens of thousands of petitions from across the state – petitions we will personally deliver to every key lawmaker to prove that their constituents are watching and demanding action.
With the governor’s mansion, dozens of Senate seats, and the entire House on the ballot next year, elected officials are paying attention.
The only thing that moves politicians faster than campaign donations this cycle is organized, vocal grassroots pressure.
The Second Amendment isn’t negotiable, and neither are we.
Florida gun owners have the numbers. Now is the time to use them.
So stay engaged, keep calling and emailing your legislators, and consider joining or donating to Florida Gun Rights so we can keep boots on the ground in Tallahassee until every Parkland-era infringement is gone for good.
