A Florida Senate committee chairwoman is blocking legislation that would restore rifle and shotgun purchasing rights to young adults despite the bill passing the state House with a supermajority vote six weeks ago. This move has prompted fierce criticism from gun rights organizations demanding immediate action.
Florida Carry issued an urgent alert on February 26, 2026, calling on Second Amendment supporters to pressure Senate Rules Committee Chair Kathleen Passidomo and Senate President Ben Albritton to allow a vote on House Bill 133. The organization characterized the delay as an unconstitutional obstruction of fundamental rights guaranteed to all adult citizens.
“Senator Kathleen Passidomo, chairperson of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, is blocking House Bill 133 from getting a hearing,” Florida Carry stated in its email to members. The organization noted the bill was referred to Passidomo’s committee on January 16, 2026, just one day after the House approved it by a commanding 74 to 37 margin.
“It has been stonewalled ever since,” the alert continued. “Senator Passidomo is obviously unconcerned that 18 to 20 year olds should enjoy the same fundamental enumerated right, guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution, that all other adults enjoy.”
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House Bill 133, sponsored by House Majority Leader Tyler Sirois of Merritt Island, would lower the minimum age for purchasing rifles and shotguns from 21 back to 18 by amending Section 790.065 of the Florida Statutes. The legislation specifically targets restrictions enacted through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which Florida lawmakers passed in 2018 following the Parkland tragedy.
Under current law, any 18 to 20-year-old who purchases a firearm faces up to five years imprisonment, a $5,000 fine, or both. The bill would restore purchasing rights for long guns while maintaining federal prohibitions on handgun purchases from licensed dealers for those under 21.
The Florida House has now passed virtually identical bills four consecutive sessions, in 2023, 2024, 2025, and again with HB 133 in January 2026, but the Florida Senate has refused to advance the measure every time.
Update from the Capitol.
Senate Leadership is refusing to touch the Military Aged Purchase ban repeal. This is completely unacceptable. This has passed the House four years now.
The 2nd Amendment is being treated as a second class right here in Florida. Check out the tweet… pic.twitter.com/z0M2Njs8n1
— Florida Gun Rights (@FLGunRights) February 4, 2026
Florida Carry framed the ongoing obstruction in constitutional terms, invoking civil rights history in its suggested message to senators. “A right delayed is a right denied,” the organization declared, urging members to remind lawmakers that “Florida gun owners are watching.”
Gun Owners of America Florida State Director Luis Valdes has been among the most vocal advocates for the legislation, testifying before committees and providing media commentary throughout the process. During committee testimony, Valdes framed the current law as a violation of rights and specifically highlighted its impact on women.
“Most importantly, the issue with this legislation is that it disarms women. It disarms young people. It disarms my own daughter,” Valdes stated. “She’s 5 years old right now, but when she becomes 18, if she decides to move out of my house and attends college, I want her to be able to defend herself.”
The bill’s sponsor has emphasized constitutional principles in defending the measure. “This country has a problem with school shootings, but the answer to that is not to infringe upon the constitutional rights of law abiding people,” Sirois stated.
Florida Carry noted that Senate President Albritton and Rules Committee members possess the authority to demand a vote on the legislation but have failed to exercise it. The organization provided contact information for 20 Republican senators and urged supporters to be “polite, but firm” in their communications.
“This injustice, born in the kneejerk emotional reaction to the Parkland tragedy, must end,” Florida Carry declared. “Those who can do that need to hear from you immediately.”
In a remarkable development, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he would not defend the existing age restriction if challenged at the Supreme Court, stating that “men and women old enough to fight and die for our country should be able to purchase firearms to defend themselves and their families.”
Whether HB 133 advances now depends entirely on whether Senate leadership permits a vote before the session concludes. Florida Carry’s urgent mobilization reflects growing frustration among gun rights advocates who have watched the House pass the same legislation year after year only to see it die without consideration in the upper chamber.
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About José Niño
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can contact him via Facebook and X/Twitter. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter by visiting “Jose Nino Unfiltered” on Substack.com.
On the Federal level, repeal of the 17th Amendment, (return to US Senators appointed by States legislature) would loosen democratic grip on the Senate, and move the Nation back closer to a Constitutional Republic.
On the State level, I wonder if having Mayors or City Councils, appoint State Senators, (instead of direct election) might very well increase representation of the rual populations. Thus also, giving States a more republican and less democratic Legislature?
(lower case r+d intended)