In an exclusive interview with Florida’s Voice, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson vowed that next year’s agricultural legislative package will include a provision lowering the firearm purchase age.

The age to buy a firearm in Florida was raised to 21 after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. Federally, the handgun age is 18 – but Florida can still lower the age for long guns to 18.

There was a standalone bill aimed at accomplishing that during the 2024 Legislative Session, but it didn’t pick up enough steam and ended up dying as lawmakers wrapped up their work.

“We are going to put it in the [agricultural] package next year,” Simpson said. “No – if you can serve your country, if you can be a law enforcement officer, if you’re 18 years old – you can buy a long gun.”