Libraries, parks, child care facilities, government buildings and many other "sensitive locations" would be off limits to people carrying firearms under a measure Boynton Beach Democratic Sen. Lori Berman filed this month.
The bill (SB 130) also lists nursing homes, houses of worship, zoos, drug treatment centers, group shelters, public transportation facilities, bars, marijuana dispensaries, entertainment venues and all education institutions as no-go zones for gun toters.
Violators would face a third-degree felony charge if caught with a weapon and a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and $10,000 in fines, if they fire the gun on the premises. Police, security personnel and legally authorized government employees would be exempt from the rule.
Berman's bill comes less than five months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation removing the requirement for lawful firearm owners to obtain a permit before carrying a concealed handgun. The measure was titled "Public Safety." It passed in the Legislature along party lines, with Republicans supporting it, and became law July 1.
Reduced restraints on concealed carry laws are associated with 13-15% increases in violent crime rates within 10 years of adoption, according to a Johns Hopkins University study. The same study found that so-called "stand your ground laws," which allow people to use deadly force if they feel in danger of death or grave harm, are linked to an 8-11% increase in monthly gun homicide rates.
Florida now has both.
Berman's bill isn't a response to the new permitless carry law. She filed an identical bill during the 2023 Legislative Session. Both it and its House twin, sponsored by St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner — died without a hearing.
SB 130 is one of 10 measures Berman announced Tuesday as part of her "Safety and Security Agenda" for the 2024 Legislative Session.
Others include a ban on assault weapons, increases to teacher salaries, expanded parental leave for state employees and a codification of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism.
"My focus this Session," she said in a statement, "is to ensure that all Floridians have protections that will empower them to be healthy, prosperous and safe."
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