Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R.) signed new state gun restrictions into law on Friday, including raising the minimum age to buy a gun to 21 and instituting a three-day waiting period for all firearm purchases.
The new law also banned the sale of bump stocks in Florida and allowed police to ask judges to confiscate weapons from those deemed a threat to themselves or others, as well as granted monies for the training and arming of school personnel, the Miami Herald reports:
Scott signed the bill despite his opposition to creation of a program that allows school personnel to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Family members of all 17 Parkland victims signed a statement supporting passage of the legislation.
The Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, named in memory of the assistant football coach at the school who died protecting students from gunfire, will create a $67 million program for county sheriffs to train school personnel to neutralize an active school shooter.
The sweeping changes come in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead and reignited the national debate over American gun laws.
The National Rifle Association opposes raising the age to buy a gun to 21, as well as the three-day waiting period to purchase a gun.
The State Senate passed the bill 20-18. It passed the House 67-50, with 57 out of 76 Republicans supporting the legislation, while 31 out of 41 Democrats voted against it due to the provision about armed personnel in schools.
Gun rights activists opposed to new gun control laws have pointed to the acknowledged breakdowns by local and federal law enforcement regarding tips about the perpetrator of the shooting, Nikolas Cruz, including multiple calls that he was a potential school shooter.
In addition, the Broward County Sheriff's office has come under sharp criticism for its response as the shooting unfolded. Deputy Scot Peterson was forced into retirement after revelations he did not enter the school as the shooting took place, and Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticized for not taking responsibility for the lack of performance by his department.