Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced Friday his state will no longer allow the sale of guns to people under the age of 21 years, and detailed a broader $500 million plan to “make massive changes” that enhance school safety after last week’s high school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
“We will require all individuals purchasing firearms to be 21 or older,” Scott said during a press conference Friday morning. “We will require all individuals purchasing firearms to be 21 or older. There will be exceptions for active duty and reserve military and spouses, National Guard members, and law enforcement.”
The proposal is part of a major overhaul of state policies governing gun sales, the treatment of mental health disorders, and school safety procedures. Scott called on lawmakers in Tallahassee to approve his agenda in the next two weeks.
“I’m an NRA member. I’m a supporter of the Second Amendment. I’m also a father, a grandfather, and a governor. We all have a difficult task in front of us: balancing our individual rights with the obvious need for public safety,” Scott said. “I know there are some who are advocating a mass takeaway of Second Amendment rights of Americans and others. That is not the answer. Keeping guns away from dangerous people and people with mental illnesses is what we need to do.”
About $450 million of Scott’s proposal would go toward improving security in schools. Scott said he will require a law enforcement officer, either a sheriff’s deputy or police officer, to be present in every public school during hours when students are present.
Under the plan, one sheriff’s deputy must be available for every 1,000 students who attend the school. This policy will be implemented at the start of the 2018-2019 academic year.
Active shooting training and Code Red drills would be required the first week of every semester, and local sheriff’s departments must participate.
Schools would receive additional funding for bulletproof glass, steel doors, updating door locks, and metal detectors depending on each school’s needs.
The state must develop a phone hotline, website, and mobile app that allows kindergarten through 12th grade students and their parents to anonymously report concerning behavior to authorities, according to Scott’s plan.
Each school would be required to hire dedicated mental health counselors that cannot serve dual roles outside of their mental health counseling jobs. These officials will have the opportunity to meet with every student at the school.
Schools must create a threat assessment team comprised of one teacher, a law enforcement officer, and other local officials that review threats on a monthly basis. Crisis intervention training for all school personnel must be completed every academic year.
The criminal penalties for anyone who makes a threat by phone, in-person, or online would also be enhanced.
Aside from school safety, state law would be strengthened to require anyone deemed by a court as a risk to himself or others to surrender all firearms and not regain custody of those items until a court reapproves the request. Any person who possesses or purchases a gun who has been banned from such activity would face additional legal consequences.
Anyone who has an injunction for protection against stalking, cyberstalking, dating violence, repeat violence, sexual violence, or domestic violence would be prohibited from purchasing a gun for at least 60 days.
Scott also pledged $50 million for mental health initiatives across the Sunshine State.
“I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun. I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who is a danger to themselves or others to use a gun,” he said.
“I want to create a new program in Florida. I call it the Violent Threat Restraining Order. This concept is very simple and very common sense in my view. This will allow a court to prohibit a violent or mentally ill person from purchasing or possessing a firearm or any other weapon when either a family member, a community welfare expert, or a law enforcement officer files a sworn request and presents evidence to the court of a threat of violence involving firearms or other weapons.”
Scott promised “speedy due process for the accused” and criminal penalties for anyone who makes a fraudulent or false statement against someone.
In addition, the purchase of bump stocks would be banned.
The announcement comes nine days after a gunman fatally shot 17 people and wounded 14 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14.
