School safety bill to take center stage for state capitol

Author: NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Published: Updated:
Florida governor’s mansion and state capitol building. Credit MGN

The House is expected to take up a wide-ranging school safety bill Friday, a day after the issue comes up on the Senate floor.

Both chambers are trying to move quickly on the school-safety issue after a mass shooting Feb. 14 that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County.

House and Senate committees moved their proposals (HB 7101 and SB 7026) through committees this week and plan to spend about $400 million on issues including bolstering school safety and mental-health services.

The bills include numerous issues, including allowing specially trained teachers to bring guns to class and raising the age from 18 to 21 to purchase rifles or other long guns.

The bills have been in controversial, in part, because they do not include bans on assault-style weapons.

Lawmakers need to pass a final version before the scheduled March 9 end of the annual legislative session.

Below is Gov. Rick Scott’s full Major Action Plan:

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